Media Invited To NASA Family Education Night June 26

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex are hosting the first-ever NASA family education night June 26 from 6 to 10 p.m. EDT at the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

The event, for fifth- through eighth-grade students and their parents, will focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, educational activities that will feature “gee-whiz” presentations, astronaut appearances, a hovercraft, vortex cannon and alternative fuel vehicles.

The event is part of NASA’s Summer of Innovation initiative to provide interactive learning experiences to middle school students nationwide during the summer months, when many students experience what is known as the “summer slide,” a loss of skills acquired during the school year. The program is a cornerstone of the Educate to Innovate campaign announced by President Barack Obama last November.

Media interested in covering the event should contact Andrea Farmer at 321-449-4318 for access to the facility by noon, Friday, June 25.

For more information about the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, visit: http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com

For more information on NASA’s Summer of Innovation, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/soi

For more information on NASA education programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/education