Pacific science center is proposing pipeline for remote sensing education and application (prsea), a five-year project designed to increase the awareness, knowledge and understanding of remote sensing…

Pacific science center is proposing pipeline for remote sensing education and application (prsea), a five-year project designed to increase the awareness, knowledge and understanding of remote sensing technologies and associated disciplines, and their relevance to NASA, through a combination of activities that build a pipeline to science, technology, engineering and math (stem) and remote sensing careers. The proposed effort will accomplish this goal by building on several of pacific science center s pre-existing programs including the track for earth and space science achievement (tessa), a teen program that emphasizes applications in astronomy; summer research internships for tessa teens; a remote sensing discovery cart; a series of out-of-school time workshops to be delivered at community organizations and at a middle school summer intensive focused on remote sensing. By offering a continuum of programs that begin in third grade and progress through adulthood, the project provides lifelong learning experiences for audiences of all ages. The first objective of the proposed effort will be to engage 50 teens from groups underrepresented in stem fields in a four-year, career ladder program. With increasing tenure, teens have a progression of learning experiences from basic training and volunteering on the museum floor, to delivering a variety of programs. As result of their participation in the project, teens will increase their knowledge and understanding of the disciplines that comprise remote sensing as well as increase their understanding of educational pathways that lead to careers in remote sensing fields both at NASA and at other relevant organizations. The teens will also gain basic content knowledge regarding remote sensing and will increase their ability and confidence to explain and illustrate its applications to people of all ages and backgrounds. The second objective is to serve 2,000 children in grades 3-5, in a remote sensing-based out-of school time outreach program. At the project s end, we anticipate this program will increase the participant s content knowledge of remote sensing concepts and applications and increase their level of awareness and interest in the disciplines that comprise remote sensing. Prsea s third objective is to engage 180 youth, grades 6-8, in remote sensing-themed summer intensive programs. As a result of the project, youth will increase their knowledge of remote sensing concepts and applications and will increase their level of awareness and interest in the study of educational and career pathways associated with remote sensing and NASA s role in contributing to this field. The fourth and final objective of the project is to engage 10,000 visitors of all ages with a remote sensing-themed discovery cart on pacific science center s exhibit floor. By engaging in cart activities with staff and tessa teens, IT is anticipated that visitors will increase their level of awareness and interest in the topic of remote sensing and NASA s role in contributing to this field of study. They will also view pacific science center as a place to learn current information about remote sensing and areas of endeavor pursued by NASA. Studies have shown that students interest in science and their confidence in their scientific ability drops sharply when they enter their middle school years (nces, 2000). Catalyzing an early interest in a stem area may be critical to enhancing our nation s stem workforce. Prsea addresses NASA s office of education goals by increasing interest in and understanding of stem disciplines throughout the education pipeline, including children, youth, teens, adults and families.