JPL gives educators ‘out-of-this-world’ training

MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE

JET PROPULSION LABORATORY

CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIF. 91109 TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011

Contact: Jane Platt (818) 354-0880

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JPL GIVES EDUCATORS ‘OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD’ TRAINING

Educators will train other teachers to use current space missions to
teach their students on Earth math and science, thanks to a program recently
expanded by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif.

To help implement this cutting-edge education program, known as the
Solar System Educators Program, JPL has awarded a $500,000 contract to Space
Explorers, Inc., De Pere, WI, and the Virginia Space Grant Consortium,
Hampton, VA.

“This program offers educators hands-on involvement with NASA’s solar
system missions,” said Aimee Whalen, liaison for the program. “They’ll have
an opportunity to come to JPL and meet the scientists and engineers who are
actually working on these missions, then take what they’ve learned back to
the educators and students in their communities.”

“This is a great opportunity to work with JPL and educators from all
over the country to increase student performance in math and science by
using the excitement of space exploration and the power of the Internet,”
said Eric Brunsell, director of program development for Space Explorers,
Inc.

The Solar System Educators Program consolidates educational programs
previously offered by three JPL-managed space missions – – the Cassini
mission to Saturn, the Galileo mission to Jupiter and the Stardust mission
to a comet. Under the three missions, teachers were trained as educator
fellows. Fifty-five educator fellows will be merged into the new Solar
System Educators Program, with an additional 25 percent to be added each
year starting in 2001. The ultimate goal of the program is to cover all 50
states and U.S. territories and include international involvement.

Cassini, Galileo and Stardust are managed by JPL for NASA’s Office of
Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California
Institute of Technology, Pasadena.

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