Interconnectedness of earth systems, supports nasas education mission to advance high quality stem education using nasas unique capabilities, namely through the use of NASA datasets, experts, and…

This is a $420,226 grant awarded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to the Nurture Nature Center (NNC), a non-profit organization in Easton, Pennsylvania. The grant supports NASA's education mission to advance high-quality STEM education using NASA's unique capabilities, datasets, experts, and analysis tools.

The project, titled "6 Degrees of Influence: Understanding the Interconnectedness of Earth Systems," focuses on developing Earth science curricula and programming for middle school students, teachers, and minority undergraduates. It involves partners such as the Maryland Science Center, Lehigh University, and Morgan State University. The goal is to use NASA's Science on a Sphere (SOS) platform and related programming to cultivate interest and engagement in STEM learning around global issues and their local impacts. The project aims to improve STEM instruction, increase youth STEM engagement, and enhance the STEM experiences of underrepresented groups, aligning with priorities of NASA's Office of Education.

Interconnectedness of earth systems, supports nasas education mission to advance high quality stem education using nasas unique capabilities, namely through the use of NASA datasets, experts, and analysis tools through the development of NOAA science on a sphere, SOS and related programming for middle school students, teachers, and minority undergraduates. The project, led by nurture nature center, NNC of easton, PA with partners maryland science center, MSC of baltimore, MD, lehigh university of bethlehem, PA, morgan state university of baltimore, MD and the outside evaluation firm, people places & design research, ppdr, focuses on earth science concepts and the cross cutting theme of interconnectedness, relying on a personal relevance hook to capture interest and motivation to further pursue stem experiences and careers.the foundation of this proposal, using personal relevance to spur inquiry based critical thinking, is at the heart of nasas office of education priorities to enable the acquisition of knowledge and the application of this understanding through inquiry. Through this project, participants, including middle school students, undergraduates and classroom teachers, will be directly engaged in an authentic, and lasting, stem experience based on principles of interconnected that can inform efforts to promote stem literacy throughout the population. As a pilot project, this proposals research and project activities seek to improve stem instruction in and out of the classroom, to increase and sustain youth engagement in stem and enhance the stem experience of undergraduates while providing opportunities for historically underrepresented groups, all priority investment areas of the costem strategic plan.to address the substantiated educational challenge of personally connecting students to earth sciences, we offer a solution with the potential for significant impact. We propose developing relevancy through a 6 degrees of influence approach to cultivate urgency and interest in stem learning about global issues as presented through NASA data. Using a carefully scripted SOS program that develops systems thinking and connections between global and local issues, combined with arts based approaches to help participants visualize and physically diagram their connections to global issues we propose to tie the impacts from global issues to local students and teachers. Programs will be evaluated at two SOS science centers, NNC and MSC, after front end research is conducted on middle school students skills and knowledg