AirMOSS E/PO is an Education project for the K-12 students, teachers, informal education community, and the general public. The AirMOSS E/PO team will provide such services as  web-based applications and resources. The objective of AirMOSS E/PO activities is to inform and/or increase the public’s understanding of the global carbon cycle, especially how the exchange of carbon dioxide between the land and the atmosphere affects global climate; and how NASA airborne science instruments…

Aquarius Communications and Public Engagement (CPE) provides content on salinity, ocean circulation, the water cycle and climate for educational purposes. The content is made available through in-person (e.g., workshops, presentations at conferences) and online events (e.g., webinars).  http://aquarius.umaine.edu/cgi/education.htm

These are Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Education events for the public. They usually are part of a larger event; our contribution is connected thematically around the topics of solar system science and astromaterials. These might include sample displays, hands-on activities, and "meet the scientists" opportunities.

Astromaterials Education/Solar System Science: Informal Professional Development
These workshops and trainings for informal educators are developed thematically around the topics of solar system science and astromaterials. The participants are prepared to share the science appropriately with K-12 audiences by extending their knowledge and giving them hands-on experience with classroom activities. These are usually offered within a conference or larger professional development event.…

These are Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Education events for the public. They usually are part of a larger event; our contribution is connected thematically around the topics of solar system science focusing on lunar and meteorite science. These might include sample displays, hands-on activities, and "meet the scientists" opportunities.

Mail Stop KA Houston, TX 77058

Professional and amateur astronomers plus interested members of the public invited to join the Saturn Observation Campaign. A section of the mission website is dedicated to mission resources and educational material. Planetary observing tips are available as well. 

What: Conduct three or more observing programs or observing events each year, including partnering with local libraries, astronomy clubs or science centers. Members are required to report events on the mission web…

Educational wall sheet with comparative planetology lessons and Titan/Earth comparison Images  /  .20 personnel time, doc review for 508, science writer to write and review, printing costs.   http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/education/overview/

Chandra provides a multifaceted Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program encompassing press relations, public outreach and education that reaches a large and diverse audience of national and international scope. Chandra’s program plays a key role in NASA’s EPO portfolio, synthesizing and disseminating results from NASA’s exploration of the high-energy Universe into a broad suite of programs and activities focused on increasing science literacy and contributing to science,…

The Dawn Mission E/C is planning to commemorate the arrival of the spacecraft at dwarf planet Ceres with a festival called i C Ceres. We plan to hold a flagship event in collaboration with NASA JPL on the Caltech Campus with both family-oriented activities and special speakers for a variety of audiences May 9, 2015.  Events throughout that weekend will be encouraged all over the country and the world, utilizing materials, special online presentations and resources highlighted on the…

Dawn will be represented at several conferences and on facebook, twitter, and Google + Hangout.

The Dawn bookmark combines the same data used on Solar System Night Boards and will introduce the Dawn web site in preparation for encounter with Vesta in fall 2011. In 2011 Dawn will look to designing a new product based on arrival at Vesta, the Vesta Fiesta refrigerator magnet. In 2012, we plan to update the Dawn mission events calendar to include new images from Vesta.

Webinars and Google + Hangouts in support of Hasta La Vesta and other outreach efforts.

The Dawn website includes up-to-date resources and information of thematic asteroid content and mission specific multimedia and educational materials. Secondary pages include details of mission, science, technology, multimedia, education, community and get involved pages. The homepage includes features, timelines and links to where is the spacecraft is now, mission status reports, media releases and scientist/engineer interviews. http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov. During FY 2011, the website…

Asteroid Mapper is an online Web interface for participants to count and analyze craters on the surface of Vesta. Vesta Zoo provides images of the surface of Vesta through a web page to "citizen scientists" for them to identify and mark surface features. The data produced by this activity is available to the science team for analysis.

he Dawn Journal, written by Chief Engineer, Marc Rayman, has been a monthly contribution to Dawn EPO on its website sonce 2007. In 2013, we expanded that to the Dawn Science Blog, inviting other team members to share information, data analysis, education, and stories about the mission. In 2014, the Dawn Journal and Dawn Science Blog were incorporated elements under one format.

Dr. Horton Newsom and a graduate student update information on "meteorights" and "meteorwrongs" providing expert advise and walk-in opportunities for the general public. This effort provides linkage to existing meteorite knowledge and the Dawn Mission.

Exhibit on meteorites featuring Vestoids for 300 visitors over the weekend at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science

In FY 2011, Stardust NExT organized a district wide NASA event in Cheyenne Wyoming modeled after similar activities conducted by NASA's Discovery Program office. A team of scientists and educators visited students in grades 6-12. An evening star party and the local observatory opened the event to students, parents and families.

"Exo's Discovery" is an online interactive learning game. Learners of all ages have an opportunity to explore and learn about our solar system with an alien named Exo who needs help.  Users travel through the solar system in a visually engaging way searching for H20, CO2, and olivine, learning about the planets and small bodies, and the missions that have explored them.

Small Worlds is a section that was added to the Discovery Program website to convey a wealth of information about the many Discovery missions focused on asteroids and comets, why we explore, how we explore, what we have learned, and the importance of this knowledge.  The information is conveyed through text, images, jingles, and an audio feature called Image Impact. 

"Art and the Cosmic Connection" is a curriculum that uses beautiful and compelling NASA images of planets, moons, and small bodies to help students understand and analyze what they see using the elements of art – shape, line, color, value, texture. After viewing images, students choose one image to draw with pastels, honing observation skills as they learn to look and look to learn. The activity is demonstrated in educator workshops and done with students during classroom visits.

Space Thrills! is a wall sheet intended for educators of students in grades K-4.  It is designed to be visually interesting to arouse curiosity about exploring our solar system and to teach about our solar system using language arts.  It is distributed to classrooms through the ERCs, at conferences, and upon request through the web site. Funds cover time spent to respond to requests through the web site. 

Thematic training for college student-mentors preparing to lead a Discovery Program focused NASA Space Science Day event. The NSSD events are sponsored by an EPOESS grant to Charlie Galindo-ARES-JSC. The workshop offers mission content, hands-on experience with classroom activities, and strategies for implementing.

NASA Space Science Days (NSSD) is a science education outreach collaboration that includes NASA-JSC, Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Directorate (ARES), the Discovery and New Frontiers Education Program, and The University of Texas at Brownsville, and Texas Southmost College.  The purpose is to encourage future generations to strive for excellence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Teams of presenters share 10-15 hands-on science activities throughout…

The annual National Afterschool Association convention attracts a wide range of out-of-school time educators. NASA's participation allows scientists and educator specialists to bring engaging science content to build informal educator skills. NASA participants offer workshops and staff an exhibit booth where they interact with informal educators and recommend teaching materials for use in their programs. 

DNF has produced an online quarterly newsletter since 1999.  The newsletter features significant mission events, interviews with mission personnel, current status and E/PO highlights for all the missions.  http://discoverynewfrontiers.nasa.gov/news/newsletters/index.html

Public events take place in a variety of venues that attract adults and students and provide an opportunity to bring information about NASA, space exploration, and the missions to raise awareness, heighten curiosity, inform and inspire. In FY2012, D/NF funded and coordinated a NASA booth at the San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering, aimed at engaging students in STEM activities and helping them see themselves as scientists and engineers. Attendance was 26,000. The event included…

DNF provides funds to support for the SSA/SSEP networks of volunteers and educators who bring mission science to their communities and students.  DNF funds cover mission participation in the program and distribution of handout materials to participants.  DNF funds help support a part-time student who works for the two programs. 

DNF thematic workshops for informal educators are a series of workshops designed specially for informal educators.  The workshops bring engaging, hands-on science activities adapted specifically for use in out-of-school time venues such as museums, science centers, afterschool programs.  DNF partners with education specialists to train informal educators at local, regional, and national conferences and events.

D/NF has two websites that provide current and historical information about the programs and the missions. The websites serve as the primary outreach tool to provide a wide array of information to the public, teachers, students, and mission personnel. The web sites are kept up to date with current news and ongoing updates.  The New Frontiers site was redesigned and updated with new content in FY'12.

2012 marks the 14th annual MD Day, an annual open house for the University of Maryland (College Park). Colleges and departments are encouraged to "show-off" their research and educational programs via informal hands-on activities. EPOXI team members will be participating again demonstrating the mechanics of transiting exoplanets and building dry ice comets. http://www.marylandday.umd.edu/

EPOXI Mission website includes up-to-date resources and information of thematic comet content and mission specific multimedia and educational materials. Secondary pages include details about the mission, science & technology; multimedia gallery; formal and informal education content. The homepage includes features, mission status, media releases, and team bios. Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter) were added in mid FY10. Site included a blog for encounter (FY11).  http://epoxi.umd.edu/

The Amateur Observers' Program (AOP) is a web resource that provides information and resources for beginner, intermediate, and advanced amateur astronomers. The site provides guidance for the public to locate and share images of small solar system bodies (comets and asteroids). Amateurs from around the world use the site as a resource connected to mission events.  Funds are for site maintenance and public events at amateur venues (clubs, star parties).  http://aop.astro.umd.edu

E/PO GRAIL MoonKAM. Information about GRAIL will be provided to the public via the GRAIL MoonKAM website, www.GRAILMoonKAM.com, conferences and JPL events. The E/PO team will work closely with JPL to coordinate media surrounding the launch of GRAIL.

The physical processes of our natural world are on constant display. They shape our surroundings on scales large and small. Across the Universe, Nature does the same.

This series helps us better understand cosmic phenomena by looking and studying what we see close to home. BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS HERE, HAPPENS THERE, AND EVERYWHERE.

This project involves presenting IBEX mission resources and materials via electronic means.  The purpose of this project is to bring the excitement of the IBEX mission and IBEX science results to a broad online audience and to make IBEX education and public outreach materials available online. The electronic venues for this project include:

• the IBEX mission website: http://www.ibex.swri.edu
• Twitter: @IBEX_NASA
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IBEXNASA
• and email: ibexepo…

This project creates resources about the IBEX mission to support the IBEX planetarium show in the form of kits, printed materials, and downloadable files. These materials are distributed by request (and as available) through U.S. educational venues that are presenting the IBEX planetarium show as well as other informal venues.

This project makes the IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System planetarium show available to museums, science centers, nature centers, and planetariums in the U.S.  The purpose of this project is to make IBEX science discoveries available to a large number of informal education venues.  The planetarium show is distributed through the IBEX E/PO program and distributers.

This project created resources about the IBEX mission and heliophysics in the form of tactile materials for people with visual impairments and online games and activities for people with visual impairments.  The purpose of this project was to make IBEX and heliophysics materials available to people who might not otherwise have access to similar resources.  The tactile materials were all distributed in 2011 at no cost through the Adler Planetarium to interested educators.

InSight's public website and visualization development once mission selected. Begin development of comparative seismometry application for mobile devices, and developing scientist talks which will be used for Educate 1-2-3 InSight speaker program and E/PO on the road materials for traveling technical and science staff. Mission social media outreach sites being populated with content.

IRIS scientists at Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory are developing a Challenger Learning Center (CLC) module parallel to the materials they created for a similar SDO program. The target audience is students in grades 5-8 who visit the Challenger Centers.

The NASA/Ames IRIS Education and Public Outreach team has developed a training presentation which has been given to members of the NASA Museum Alliance, the JPL Solar System Ambassadors program, and similar Informal Educator groups.

The IRIS Education and Public Outreach team will create various public outreach materials to highlight the IRIS mission.

The goal of the IRIS social media program is to increase public awareness of the IRIS mission and IRIS-related science.  We will use web-based social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs, Flickr, etc. 

Professional and amateur astronomers plus interested members of the public invited to join the Jupiter Observation Campaign. A section of the mission website is dedicated to mission resources and educational material. Planetary observing tips are available as well.

Conduct three or more observing programs or observing events each year, including partnering with local libraries, astronomy clubs or science centers. Members are required to report events on the mission web site. Members…

The first podcast was in April 2007, and it has nearly 4 million downloads since its debut. Podcasts are available on NASA, NASA IYA, JPL, Solar System, and mission websites. They can also be downloaded automatically via iTunes (the most popular format). The focus is always determined by what is A) going on in the night sky and B) mission events we can tie in. Since Jupiter shows up in September, that is when we would highlight Juno.

The LADEE Observation Campaign encourages citizen science and participatory exploration involvement in LADEE mission science. Participants make and record telescopic observations of meteoroid impacts on the lunar surface, or visual/video counts of terrestrial meteors to provide data that can be correlated with LADEE science instrument observations. The cache and publicity of a NASA lunar mission is used to increase public awareness of and interest in existing observation programs run by…

While LADEE supports a number of public outreach events hosted (and reported in the data call) by other missions/programs (see notes), these represent public outreach events not reported elsewhere. Members of the public attending these outreach events are introduced to how our understanding of the Moon is changing dramatically based on results from a new generation of robotic explorers, how LADEE will further advance our understanding of the Moon, and how they  can directly participate…

The LRO museum exhibit will be located at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord, NH.  It will describe the motivation for and goals of the mission and its scientific discoveries.  The exhibit will be open to the public.

The LRO Docent Package is comprised of science background and hands-on activities that educators can use in their institutions. The LRO Docent Package will be available for electronic download on the LRO website: http://lro.gsfc.nasa.gov

The International Observe the Moon Night is a public "Moon party" event that was held at 627 locations around the world on October 8 2011. Amateur astronomers and the general public are invited to participate in events that provide scientific context about the Moon, tweet up events, and telescope observations of the Moon. The International Observe the Moon Night is a collaborative project between LRO EPO, NASA Lunar Science Institute, Lunar and Planetary Institute, NASA ARC, GSFC and…

This activity is leveraging the Mini-RF data for both informal and formal education using the Global Imagination Magic Planet. This learning platform will provide a unique experience for students, teachers and the general public to learn about the Mini-RF instrument.  Currently, the programming includes Minim-RF data, and can be easily expanded to include other LRO instrument data as well.

The Miniature Moon Wall is a portable system that utilizes data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera and Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter to enable the use to "fly" over the surface of the Moon. The Mini Moon Wall is developed for loaning to small informal science institutions on a temporary basis.

The Moon Wall is a museum exhibit at Adler Planetarium that utilizes data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera and Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter to enable the use to "fly" over the surface of the Moon.

The LRO Museum Alliance Training is monthly telecon presentations to the NASA Museum Alliance.  Recent science updates from the LRO mission will be delivered to the Museum Alliance along with relevant educational materials.

This area supports the NASA Strategic Plan "Outreach to Stakeholders," and typically focuses per that document on public information and outreach related to NASA's Mars and Mars mission efforts, as well as cross-themed messages within SMD and between it and other Divisions (e.g., human exploration of Mars efforts by ESMD).  Included are pass-through events such as exhibits and public talks (including support for scientist/engineer involvement); web support, including content and…

This alliance brings real-time, high-definition  imagery and other content to museums, science centers, and planetaria  and to  the wider audiences they serve (created by Mars, it was elevated to an agency level as the NASA Museum Alliance and expanded to include other missions and activities).   The intent is to create increasingly experiential programming that allows the public to participate in discovery as it happens and to come to know Mars as a familiar place, utilizing the…

Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Professional Development for National Park Service Interpreters: The SAM E/PO team reaches out to NPS interpreters who are part of the Earth to Sky network via Webinars to educate them about SAM and MSL, to help them draw linkages between Gale Crater and their own Park, and to share activities and resources that could be adapted for use in most Parks.

Sample Analysis at Mars E/PO Website: The SAM E/PO team, in collaboration with the SAM science team, maintains a website to provide information on SAM and MSL, access to current news, SAM science results, and E/PO resources such as the Curiosity landing site activity developed by the SAM team and SAM-related multimedia products.

Sample Analysis at Mars outreach events: SAM scientists, engineers, and E/PO team members regularly participate in large public outreach events that reach hundreds to thousands of people.

MAVEN Evaluation – MAVEN’s plan for evaluation involves a comprehensive, multi-method approach spanning the project’s six-year duration (FY11-FY16). Cornerstone Evaluation Associates LLC is the external research firm charged with carrying out the evaluation activities necessary to determine the effectiveness and impact of MAVEN’s Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) effort and its success in achieving its overall goal to “engage multiple audiences in the quest to understand Mars’…

MAVEN mission informal E/PO is a comprehensive program targeting informal and public outreach audiences. The program involves product development and professional development workshops, including Invisible Mars Science on a Sphere, Girls go to Mars! badge kits, Imagine Mars through Native Eyes, and New Media Practitioners Professional Development Workshops, and management and evaluation for the aforementioned activities. The objective of the MAVEN mission E/PO program is to engage…

MAVEN Invisible Mars Product – a project that builds on a previous NASA Mars Space Weather E/PO project, “Seeing the Invisible,” for Science on a Sphere. The MAVEN E/PO team adapts this script for public audiences.

New Media practitioner professional development workshops – two 2-day workshops for bloggers, journalists, and people actively involved in accurate science tweets on MAVEN-related science, technology and engineering concepts. The MAVEN E/PO team expects to engage approximately 24 media practitioners with national reach.

Web and social media – the MAVEN E/PO website, Facebook page, Twitter account, and events related to these new media will inspire the public to understand the MAVEN journey and discoveries. The MAVEN E/PO team expects to reach a potential audience of tens of millions; the total reach is viral (currently on Facebook: 10,250 fans; Twitter: 25,350 followers).

The MESSENGER Informal education and public outreach (E/PO) efforts provide content-based materials for use in non-classroom settings. High-quality educational materials featuring mission-related themes are developed and disseminated through print, audiovisual, and web-based media. The objective of MESSENGER Informal Education is to provide educators and students, both within the USA and internationally, with access to high-quality, content-rich materials featuring NASA themes that both…

The MESSENGER Informal education and public outreach (E/PO) efforts provide content-based materials for use in non-classroom settings. High-quality educational materials featuring mission-related themes are developed and disseminated through print, audiovisual, and web-based media. The objective of MESSENGER Informal Education is to provide educators and students, both within the USA and internationally, with access to high-quality, content-rich materials featuring NASA themes that both…

The MESSENGER Informal education and public outreach (E/PO) efforts provide content-based materials for use in non-classroom settings. High-quality educational materials featuring mission-related themes are developed and disseminated through print, audiovisual, and web-based media. The objective of MESSENGER Informal Education is to provide educators and students, both within the USA and internationally, with access to high-quality, content-rich materials featuring NASA themes that both…

The MESSENGER K-12 education and public outreach (E/PO) efforts encompass teacher professional development and web-available content-based curriculum for K-12 students and educators. The Educator Fellowship program trains educators who commit to conducting teacher professional development using high-quality educational materials featuring mission-related themes. The objective of the MESSENGER E/PO program is to prepare classroom teachers across the nation to incorporate high-quality,…

The MESSENGER K-12 education and public outreach (E/PO) efforts encompass teacher professional development and web-available content-based curriculum for K-12 students and educators. The Educator Fellowship program trains educators who commit to conducting teacher professional development using high-quality educational materials featuring mission-related themes. The objective of the MESSENGER E/PO program is to prepare classroom teachers across the nation to incorporate high-quality,…

The MESSENGER K-12 education and public outreach (E/PO) efforts encompass teacher professional development and web-available content-based curriculum for K-12 students and educators. The Educator Fellowship program trains educators who commit to conducting teacher professional development using high-quality educational materials featuring mission-related themes. The objective of the MESSENGER E/PO program is to prepare classroom teachers across the nation to incorporate high-quality,…

The E/PO section of the MMS website is specifically designed for number of MMS E/PO audiences and hosts a growing collection of lesson plans, activities, games, Interactives, podcasts, video clips and social media links, while highlighting the contributions, accomplishments and career paths of mission personnel. The MMS social media team works closely with the GSFC Office of Communications and NASA’s existing social media networks to reach the target audiences.

The online ‘Educators Launch Kit’ will include Launch Party ideas, activities, and links to mission content, videos and social media pages. When available the page will also contain information on how to connect to the live launch. From these pages, users will be invited to join the MMS Magnetic Space Café. This collaborative website used by NASA's Science Education and Public Outreach Forum will provide an online space where educators and the general public come to chat, receive E/PO…

Students can use these models to make and even stronger connection between engineering and mathematics while highlighting the importance of the MMS mission. On the models page, students can see a video of the LEGO model, make their own, make a paper model, or work on MMS card models. The MMS bookmark can be folded into a 3D model. It also has web resources and QR codes.

NASA EDGE is an unscripted, non-traditional video podcast or vodcast designed to highlight all things NASA in a unique and fun way. Built in the framework of sports talk radio (i.e. Mike and Mike in the Morning – ESPN Radio), NASA EDGE has generated a positive buzz for NASA in a way in which young teens and adults can relate. Produced vodcast segments will focus on a particular components of the MMS mission. For example, one segment might focus on the science instruments and another on…

MMS worked with Stephanie Smith (NASA Second Life Designer) to install models of the MMS spacecraft on NASA's eEducation Island. Second Life has become less of a draw for users lately but continues to be a place for MMS materials and activities. Given the capabilities of Second Life, it represents an environment that is very well suited for exploring the imagery of MMS.

The MMS social media program is intended to communicate the science of MMS, as well as Heliospheric and STEM-related information to the general public and education professionals in an educational, fun and engaging way.

The Student Transmedia Book (T-Book) is a digital age storybook designed to help students learn about the NASA’s MMS mission through a variety of inquiry and engineering based experiences. A T-book, is a standard print book that serves as a nexus for all of the physical objects and digital resources necessary for its telling. A T-book exists in both a physical and digital space, which facilitates the seamless transition between the two states. It includes experiment instructions, data…

Since 2009 the Music and Astronomy Under the Stars (MAUS) program has brought astronomy to 50,000 music lovers (800 – 5000 participants per event) throughout Long Island at classical, folk, pop/rock, opera, Caribbean, or county-western concerts in parks assisted by local astronomy clubs (55 events; 28 parks, 83% free, most festivals had low-cost admission and free admission for children). The Long Island based astronomy club, the Amateur Observers' Society of New York , is a partner…

This project provides support for an ongoing public radio show.  Its purpose is to explore questions of humanity's place in the universe, especially as it relates to topics in astrobiology and SETI research.  The radio show airs on 30+ radio stations nationwide, most of them are NPR affiliates, and a podcast of the show is downloaded by over a million unique listeners every year.

This project exposes the public in non-traditional settings to astrobiology research and information.  It's purpose is to raise awareness about astrobiology with members of the general public who wouldn't normally seek out science content.  An "Astrobiology in Your Backyard" booth was set up a three different music festivals in the Madison, Wisconsin area in Summer, 2011 in which tardigrades, micro-meteorites, lichens, and stromatolite fossils served as launching-off points to engage…

This project engages citizen scientists in a study of microbial diversity in distributed domestic water heaters.  It's purpose is to look at the genetic differences from isolates of similar microbes from across the globe to understand the degree to which populations of microbes are isolated and whether this isolation suggests an allopatric speciation model for prokaryotes. Two-three interested households per state in the US will complete a questionnaire and submit samples back to labs…

This project develops and distributes video resources for the general public.  Via partnership with Montana State's Science and Natural History Filmmaking Program, a one-hour documentary film is being produced that takes a personal look at scientists around the U.S. working with the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) to understand the origin of life. Once the film is completed in late 2011, the program will be distributed via a national outlet such as National Geographic, the Discovery…

This project provides training for informal education volunteers working on behalf of NASA.  The purpose is to train the Solar System Ambassadors, SS Educators, and members of other NASA  Nationwide Consortium organizations in the use of astrobiology materials so they may use them in their outreach events.  Telecons and workshops are held to expose the volunteers to astrobiology science and educational materials. In 2011, Solar System Ambassadors held 269 Astrobiology events reaching a…

This project creates a new, small-dome planetarium show for Houston-area school districts.  It's purpose is to engage students in astrobiology science, especially extreme life.  Via a partnership with the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences, the show is being developed and will be deployed locally to hundreds of schools via their fleet of traveling planetarium domes.

This project is an art exhibit displayed in science centers and/or art museums nationwide.  Its purpose is to display and interpret original works by a science illustrator who, in collaboration with a scientist, has visited and documented hydrothermal vent ecosystems via travel in the deep-sea submersible Alvin.  The traveling exhibit was featured at the University of Wisconsin, Madison for most of 2011, and significant leveraging of the exhibit into workshops and a girl's career day…

This project delivers astrobiology information to the general public.  Its purpose is to excite and engage the public in an interactive debate experience featuring scientists in an informal education setting.  Future presentations in this series will be podcast and made publically available.

This project delivers astrobiology information to the general public.  Its purpose is to excite and engage the public in an interactive debate experience featuring scientists in an informal education setting.  Future presentations in this series will be podcast and made publically available.

This is a free-standing kiosk resource for informal education settings, and an accompanying poster.  The purpose is to provide information on astrobiology research on hydrothermal vents to a broad audience.  Museums and science centers coordinate with NAI to exhibit the interactive kiosk in their venue.  The kiosk was displayed at Penn State and the Maryland Science Center in 2011.

This event is a one-day, hands-on, interactive STEM science fair hosted in collaboration with the PA Space Grant Consortium and other Penn State partners. The purpose of the event is to provide information about NASA research to a diverse and wide audience. The event includes more than 50 exhibits with more than 250 volunteers, and had more than 2000 in attendance in 2011. NASA materials, especially those related to astrobiology, are given out.

In celebration of NASA's Year of the Solar System, this project makes a curated collection of images related to astrobiology and solar system exploration available to educational organizations worldwide.  It's purpose is to raise awareness of NASA's planetary and astrobiologcial exploration via the viewing of beautiful, artistic imagery mostly from spacecraft.  In a free-choice public outreach manner, organizations download the high-res images from a website and create their own…

This project will produce a new set of informal education materials.  The purpose is to share information about the icy moons of the outer solar system and their relevance to the search for life beyond Earth.  The product will be in the form of a set of trading cards, and will be available in 2012.

This project provides online access to video and poster content from the Deep Sea Vents kiosk. This project ensures that the high-quality materials developed for the kiosk to improve understanding of Astrobiology is readily available to members of the general public, both nationally and internationally. A link to this material will be available from the NAI education web site at http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/education-and-outreach 

This project is the development of a "live" digital planetarium show.  Its purpose is to create a modular, flexible, exportable show that other high resolution, full-dome theatres which employ the Uniview system can use.  Visuals and narration blend with live music for an exciting experience which attracts an audience beyond the normal planetarium-going public.  The show has been prototyped and piloted, and a final, exportable package is planned for 2012.

NASA Nationwide (NNW) is the title given to this project that provides mission-created, professional development products and training for SSA and SSEP volunteers, along with 11 other NASA education and public outreach networks, AESP and the NASA and JPL Speakers Bureau members.  These materials and information may be used by NNW volunteers in their events, workshops and speaking engagements.  Coordinated by the SSA/SSEP project manager, the trainings feature both informal and formal…

The Maryland Science Center’s SpaceLink is a New Horizons E/PO partner that falls into both formal and informal outreach arenas. New Horizons scientists and engineers regularly support SpaceLink’s flexible programming, seminars for educators, a menu of classroom programs on request, distance learning teacher presentations, and special live events to highlight mission milestones and space-related anniversaries. This allows the guest scientists and engineers to interact directly with the…

In addition to the students who created the instrument, the SDC’s own education and outreach team maintain a Web site that features the inside story of the instrument’s development and video interviews with team members. The SDC project is blazing a trail for future student-built instruments.  (http://lasp.colorado.edu/sdc/)

In an effort to educate U.S. Space and Rocket Center (USSRC) museum guests about New Horizons, a model of the solar system has been set up on the Center grounds with placards providing information about each planet. A New Horizons display is set up near Pluto to educate guests about the objectives of the mission.
This is to maintain the exhibit. http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/

Dynamic Response of the Environment at the Moon participation at public events: In FY11, Dynamic Response of the Environment at the Moon (DREAM) participation at public events included Maryland Day at UMD and Explore@NASA Goddard (Goddard's Open House).  In FY12, DREAM plans to also participate in Maryland Day along with International Observe the Moon Night.  At each event, the public will participate in an experiment that simulates tribocharging of astronauts and dust adherence on the…

This is a collaborative effort between various NASA Missions. NLSI plans to spend an estimate budget of $35K. However, this estimated figure might change.

The LPI/JSC NLSI team is creating a series of library exhibits to share NLSI and NASA lunar science and exploration with the general public through a nation-wide network of librarians, as well as SMD and NASA networks.

This project is a collaboration with the Moon Zoo effort, a citizen science project where the general public analyzes features on the surface on the Moon.  This enables people to contribute to lunar science and educates and inspires them, using resources on the website.  Anyone can participate by going to moonzoo.org and creating an account, and then analyzing data.

The project is a collaboration with Astrosphere and part of the 365 Days of Astronomy Podcasts. It will be composed of a Monthly "10 minutes" podcast for a full year.

A series of lectures to various different audiences (from middle school students to adults) about NASA's lunar science and exploration programs as well as EPO resources. These talks would be visually augmented by NASA lunar imagery such as high-resolution photographs of the lunar surface, the latest lunar science visualizations, as well as by animations of current and future lunar missions. 

Explore the Moon! is a library program in which a team of NLSI SwRI and LPI education specialists and scientists are creating hands-on inquiry based, standards-aligned modules of activities to be used in informal learning environment programs. The activities explore the lunar environment and relate to NLSI science and exploration. The module currently is in development with a completion target of summer 2010.  

Create an adult planetarium show highlighting science that can be done from the moon.

Public events associated with the Lunar and Solar eclipses that were visible to North America.  For the handful of Lunar eclipses between 2009-2012 we had nearly 1000 people in attendance for each event.  Then for the Solar Eclipse of 2012 we had nearly 10,000 people in the Football Stadium at the University of Colorado to view it.  Our event was broadcast on NBC national news.

Set up telescopes on the Pearl Street Pedestrian Mall in Boulder, CO.  Handed out flyers describing NASA Lunar Science and let people look through telescopes.  Night was pretty cloudy but still got "peeks" at the moon and people liked looking through telescopes.

Journey through the Universe is a national science education initiative that engages entire communities – students, teachers, families, and the public – using education programs in the Earth and space sciences and space exploration to inspire and educate. The initiative engages communities in sustained science, math, and technology education, and is a celebration of exploration and the joys of learning.  The initiative includes local programming for thousands of students and families,…

Fly me to an Asteroid! (working title), run jointly with The Planetary Society, solicits names of individuals for etching onto a chip to fly on the spacecraft. The purpose of this project is to collect names from the public, etch the names onto a chip, place the chip in the sample return capsule for a trip to and from the asteroid, engage the public in the mission and increase interest in asteroids and science. TPS will collect names from entrants, Lockheed Martin will lead efforts to…

Visit to the Exhibit: OSIRIS-REx hosts the OSIRIS-REx Presents Great Balls of Fire! exhibit at the University of Arizona, include additional exhibit materials related to the mission, and run the OSIRIS-REx Presents Asteroid Academy! school field trips to the exhibit. The exhibit and field trips will take place during the fall months of 2012 with OSIRIS-REx Ambassadors facilitating school field trips (grades 5-8) for underserved audiences. Evaluation of the exhibit, audience feedback,…

Target Asteroids! Is a citizen science project which engages amateur astronomers in observations of potential asteroid spacecraft targets. The purpose is to collect data (e.g., astrometry and photometry) on asteroid targets to better characterize them as well as engage amateurs in the mission and encourage interest in STEM education and careers. OSIRIS-REx team members work with amateur astronomy groups to provide guidance, monitoring and collection of data.

This project develops a mission website. The purpose is to provide a portal for the public to engage with the mission and is a coordinated effort with other internet outlets such as the Facebook page and Twitter. E/PO staff and other team members work together to create content for OSIRIS-REx internet presence.

Name that Asteroid!, run jointly with The Planetary Society, solicits names for the OSIRIS-REx mission target asteroid, (101955) 1999 RQ36. The purpose of the project is to name 1999 RQ36, engage the public in the mission and increase interest in asteroids and science. TPS will collect names from entrants, a committee will select a name and recommend the name to the Minor Planet Center, which makes final determination.

The Planck Mission education and outreach projects focus on three main areas:

1. Developing curricula and supplementary materials in the form of lecture notes and simulations for use in undergraduate (university and community college) education;
2. Developing outreach materials in the form of interactive displays for museums and science centers and videos for distribution on the internet (YouTube);
3. Citizen science projects in which global citizens can contribute directly to…

The ROSETTA education and public outreach (E/PO) program supports NASA Sun-Earth-Day events tied to phenomenon through actual scientific experience.  The objective of the ROSETTA E/PO is to educate students about; Activities to increase public engagement in improving science, mathematics, engineering, and technology education in the United States.

The Rosetta Project is working on an educational experience through the web page that brings students from different cultures and areas of the world together to learn about comets and asteroids as a group via the internet.  Rosetta is an international mission between ESA and NASA.

S’COOL is a Web-based project for K12 students and educators, and citizen scientists. S’COOL involves students in authentic science with NASA, through sky observations which serve as ground truth for the CERES instruments in orbit. The objective of S’COOL is to engage students actively in NASA Earth science research.  http://scool.larc.nasa.gov/

SMAP provides Educator Professional Development opportunities for K-12 educators through our partner network and the regional NASA centers. The professional development opportunities will be offered to all K-12 educators who are interested in incorporating the latest soil moisture and freeze-thaw science and technology in the classroom. The objective of SMAP is to offered the latest advances in remote sensing science and technology to support the existing science standards in the…

Since the discovery that SDO can see certain classes of comets in EUV, the SDO EPO team has created a specific website and social media program around SDO Comet sightings. This activity provides the public with information and up to date videos on the latest SDO comet sightings.  When a new comet is seen in space and looks like it will be large enough to be seen by SDO, the team updates the website to include all of the new information and develops a small social media plan to get the…

Exploration Station is a program of activities organized by the various American Geophysical Union (AGU) sections and focus groups. Many AGU section and focus group members work for organizations with well-developed education and public outreach programs. Exploration Station is an opportunity for these organizations to bring their exhibits and hands-on activities to the AGU Fall Meeting and interact with the public in San Francisco.

This event is four hours long, free, and open to…

The NASA Family Science Night program invites middle school children and their families to come discover the wide variety of science and engineering being performed at NASA and in our every day life. You will work with volunteers to explore various themes on the Sun, the Moon, the Stars, and the Universe* through fun, hands-on activities. You will even get to take stuff with you when you leave to perform your own experiments at home!

The SDO Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/NASASDO. The SDO Twitte feeds are @NASA_SDO and @NASA_SDO_EDU.

The goal of the Transit of Venus social media events was to build the excitement around this worldwide event and connect the public to Transit of Venus-related resources in their area.

The Solar Dynamics Observatory public website is available at http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov.

The goal of this project is to develop resources and events that improve informal education opportunities in solar and Solar Dynamics Observatory-related science.

This project involves active engagement, involvement and support of public communications opportunities such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Flickr, etc., for SDO. Staff makes SDO and Heliophysics visible and "likeable" to the general public by posting current sun and solar information, developing materials to post, educate the public about the sun and solar events, including space weather, making videos and images, etc.

Solar System Ambassadors (SSA) is the overarching title given to this project that works with outside volunteers to aid in accomplishing NASA's education and public outreach goals.  There are more than 500 SSAs from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and the District of Columbia along with Americans living abroad in Canada and the Netherlands, who share the inspiring story of NASA's space exploration efforts with members of their local communities by conducting a variety of local…

The Stardust-NExT website includes up-to-date resources and information of thematic comet content and mission specific multimedia and educational materials. Secondary pages include details of mission, science, technology, multimedia, education, community and "get involved" pages. The homepage includes features, timelines and links to where is the spacecraft is now, mission status reports, media releases and scientist/engineer interviews.

Stardust-NExT, EPOXI, and Rosetta mission will combine resources at the annual JPL Open House event. Exhibit will feature a "Comet Cratering" activity, models of asteroids, meteorite collection, spacecraft models and science data. Personnel from all missions will be on-hand to talk with public.

Dawn, Stardust-NExT and EPOXI E/PO leveraged mission materials to offer OST science teachers professional development and curricular support to help them integrate space science involving small bodies into their programs through the DoDEA Space Science Extravaganza in May, 2012.Teachers will engage their students in high-interest, hands-on activities that highlight mission science and enhance learning about comets, asteroids, and the origins of the solar system. In FY13, we will be…

In February, 2011 Stardust spacecraft will encounter comet Tempel 1. In support of this event a number of outreach events are planned at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as well as New York/Cornell and several other sites around the country, TBD.

Podcast did not occur and was cancelled due to mission conflict in FY10 plan. Current no plans to reschedule in FY11.

Reprint: Combines the same data used on Solar System Night Boards and will introduce the Stardust-NExT and EPOXI websites in preparation for encounter in Nov. 2010 and February 2011.

Working closely with the NASA/JPL Ambassadors Program, Solar System Educator network, Museum Alliance Network and Space Place Networks Encounter events will be organized around the country at informal science centers and museums. Stardust-NExT will connect informal educators with related resources for each event including scientists, speakers, animation, educators. Events will be as detailed as having mission personal on-site or virtually, Twitter postings, and/or Skype teleconferences…

Scientists, engineers, administrators, educators and students working with NASA tell their personal stories of inspiration on the challenges in their careers, education requirements, and exciting highlights of working with/for NASA. By showing "real life" people in real life experiences we hope to engage the public and students into considering a future career or involvement in aerospace, science and technology.

"Eyes on the Solar System" is a 3-D environment full of real NASA mission data. Explore the cosmos from your computer. Hop on an asteroid. Fly with NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft. See the entire solar system moving in real time. It's up to you. You control space and time.

Comet Interactive was designed to introduce all levels of user to comets. Information includes overview of comets in a 3:41 second video documentary provided to the mission by Space.com; Comet Life Cycle section where user can view the changes which occur as a comet as it travels on its orbit; Comet Anatomy section which demonstrates the various components of a comet; and a Comet Specifications section highlighting Comets Borrelly, Wild 2, Tempel 1, 67P, and Hartley. This section shows…

Story mining and Sharing in Informal Education Settings
This is an ARES education activity to mine and share the stories of past and recent solar system exploration missions and the Antarctic meteorite research program. These stories will be used to connect informal audiences to the excitement of scientific discovery experienced by the people in space science research. It includes finding the stories, developing concise, well-told stories using the raw data, and sharing the stories…

Sun-Earth Days (SED) was developed in response to a need for a highly leveraged education framework to help the heliophysics missions tell their integrated and cross discipline stories to the general public, informal and formal education communities.Sun-Earth Days is an innovative, multi-mission, exemplary, and award-winning NASA Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) program that to date has touched over one billion people in 42 countries. Sun-Earth Day provides an established and now…

This description appears in the public listing of project profiles

SpaceLink at the Maryland Science Center is an informal education and public outreach partner for the Van Allen Probes mission. An instructional PowerPoint was produced for distribution to informal educators at museums, science centers and planetariums across the U.S. with the purpose of providing content information about the Van Allen Probes mission and science objectives, and to help educators in communicating the mission to their audiences. 

Material and activities focusing on…

Girl Power is an annual STEM expo for middle and high school girls exploring careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics hosed by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, the event is free and open to the public.  The one day event is designed to attract and retain girls in STEM fields, stressing that women are making a difference, changing the world, and transforming the future.  Van Allen Probes E/PO staff, scientists and engineers host a booth at the…