From Space to the Classroom: NASA Science Improves Climate Change Education

NASA has awarded approximately $1.4 million in cooperative agreements to enhance learning through the use of the agency’s unique Earth science resources. The grants will support elementary, secondary and undergraduate education, along with lifelong teaching and learning.

Recipients are the University of Washington, the National Wildlife Federation in Reston, Va., and Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia. NASA also provided approximately $210,000 in additional funding for an earlier award made to the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

The awards will fund innovative uses of data from NASA’s Earth observations and Earth system models. The goal is to engage students in the critical disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and inspire the next generation of explorers.

NASA provided $6.1 million to 15 colleges and universities, nonprofit groups, museums, science centers and a school district in October 2009. At the same time, NASA identified these four proposals for selection if funds became available in 2010. To continue the program in 2010, NASA expects to issue a new solicitation for proposals this spring.

The cooperative agreements are part of a program Congress began in fiscal year 2008. For a complete list of selected organizations and rojects descriptions, click on “Selected Proposals” and look for “Global Climate Change Education (GCCE): Research Experiences, Teaching & Learning” or solicitation NNL09ZB1005C at: http://nspires.nasaprs.com

For more information about NASA’s Global Climate Change Education
initiative, visit: http://gcce.larc.nasa.gov

For information about NASA’s Education programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/education