The integrated science multi-use laboratory (ISMUL) at the university of puerto rico at arecibo (UPRA) is an innovative, interdisciplinary project created in 1996 to promote and enrich the advancement…

The integrated science multi-use laboratory (ISMUL) at the university of puerto rico at arecibo (UPRA) is an innovative, interdisciplinary project created in 1996 to promote and enrich the advancement of education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). ISMUL uses a variety of strategies to develop faculty, teachers, and students of all levels from K-12 to university undergraduates. The NASA aeronautics education laboratory (AEL) at UPRA, working under ISMUL, is a grades 4-12 program to promote STEM interests in students, especially those from underserved and underrepresented groups, using aeronautics themed team activities. The facility also demonstrates the use of technology for teaching STEM. ISMUL-AEL, and the UPRA, are part of a hispanic serving institution (HSI), serving an almost 100% hispanic minority and predominantly low income population from the arecibo region. So being, ISMUL-AEL offers its services free of charge. This proposal intends to widen the scope of ISMUL-AEL S offer to, and enrich the experience of, its visitors through new on-site exhibits, workshops, and summer activities including the optics and astronomy workshop, the electricity and the atom workshop the summer STEM academy the wall of periodic tables, and the cloud chamber experience. These interrelated and complementary experiences are in consonance with the objectives of NASA S office of diversity and equal opportunity , the heomd , the office of communications, and the office of the chief technologist - space technology. They will help develop STEM knowledge and abilities in students and teachers, as well as enhancing teaching. They will also highlight NASA S involvement and interest in the earth, life on earth, the ISS, astronomy, interplanetary travel, the hubble and spitzer space telescopes, the history and evolution of the universe, remote sensing, and the robotic exploration of the planets. A long-standing partnership with the university of puerto rico and the puerto rico NASA space grant consortium, as well as collaboration with the puerto rico department of education, the national astronomy and ionosphere center (arecibo observatory), and the planetary habitability laboratory enhances ISMUL-AEL S reach and effectiveness. Those partnerships, together with the experienced staff of UPRA professors and their undergraduate student assistants, allows ismulael to effectively impact a large amount of students and teachers , both directly and indirectly. The approval of this proposal will aid ISMUL-AEL in its ultimate goal of contributing in the development of a science-mature population with a quality STEM workforce, able and willing to support science and technology development and capable of sustaining a high technology economy.