In support of NASA's intention to use its retired space shuttle orbiters and associated artifacts from the space transportation system to inspire stem learning among the general public and students in…

In support of NASA's intention to use its retired space shuttle orbiters and associated artifacts from the space transportation system to inspire stem learning among the general public and students in particular, the california science center foundation respectfully requests support for the development of an exhibition featuring the science, technology, engineering and mathematics underlying the first 500 seconds of a space shuttle mission. A professional development program will be designed to facilitate teacher training in support of the stem concepts and a website will be developed to provide access to materials that teachers can use to create integrated units that link to the national science standards and those relevant to local communities. The mission of the california science center is to stimulate curiosity and inspire science learning in everyone by creating fun, memorable experiences, because we value science as an indispensable tool for understanding our world, accessibility, inclusiveness, and enriching people's lives. We propose to develop a cluster of hands-on interactive exhibits that will address the stem concepts at the heart of several counterintuitive aspects of a space shuttle launch. Representatives from the organizations that have been awarded space shuttle orbiters or significant artifacts from the space shuttle program will be invited to participate as members of an advisory committee that will provide counsel to the science center both to advise on exhibit development and to help shape the education program strategies that will certainly vary from one institution to another. This proposal describes an effort designed to produce a cluster of hands-on stem focused exhibits that can be used by each of the space shuttle orbiter and artifact recipients as well as other organizations interested in exhibiting NASA stem content, including smaller organizations located in rural settings far away from institutions that display actual artifacts from the space shuttle program. Although we do not expect each committee members to adopt the entire collection of exhibits developed by the california science center, all of the organizations will have the opportunity to benefit from at least one or more exhibit elements developed under this project. In addition, we expect that rural institutions around the country may have an interest in acquiring the entire exhibit set that we propose to develop. The california science center foundation proposes to design, prototype and develop a cluster of stem exhibits that will collectively form a theme focusing on the first 500 seconds of a space shuttle launch. The exhibits will be fully modular so that the participating organizations (those formally comprising our advisory committee) and others can choose either the entire set or any subset of the exhibits that meet their needs. The california science center foundation will also provide a template for the development of programs for professional development and accompanying education programs and host a page on its website to make others aware of the existence of the as-built drawings and to offer downloadable education materials. At the california science center the entire set of exhibits will support the space shuttle endeavour exhibit projected to open after endeavour arrives in LOS angeles in 2012.