Solar System Educators Program (SSEP)

Overview
Program Element / Activity Title:
Solar System Educators Program (SSEP)
E/PO Project Name:
Solar System Educators Program (SSEP)
Contact Information Shown to the Public:
4800 Oak Grove Drive, MS 111-B29
Program Element / Activity Website:
Short Description for Projects Page:

Solar System Educators (SSEP) are master teacher volunteers who train educators in their states in the use of NASA's STEM educational materials.  Results of these educator workshops are reported to the NASA OEPM system annually.  Currently, there are 94 SSEPs in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.  Training for SSEPs on NASA/JPL educational products is accomplished in two ways:  1) In-person institutes and 2) telecons with downloadable web-based materials.  Institutes are held when sponsoring partners fund these activities.  Only a portion of the SSEPs attend institutes, with the remainder of the group trained by telecon.  SSEPs join SSAs for mission update trainings. Mars Public Engagement will conduct a Mars Science Lab SSEP institute via distance learning in 2012.  The Heliophysics Forum will conduct a Venus Transit institute via distance learning prior to the event on June 5.  SSEP is part of the SSA thematic funding.

Audience Metrics
Who is the primary audience of your program element / activity?:
Who is the secondary audience of your program element / activity?:
Evaluation
National Priorities and Coordination Approaches as Articulated in CoSTEM:
  • Improve STEM Instruction
What are the main impacts of your effort to date and how do they correlate to the project’s goals and objectives:
From the evaluation report:

The Solar System Educators:

All four felt that the impact was very positive, citing reasons like newfound excitement, making them better teachers, afforded opportunities they would not have been, met new people who they can always contact.

One teacher now feels he is looked upon as a resource.

Some of the SSEs felt that NASA now respects them.