Space Foundation conducts `Space in the Classroom` in Florida

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Nov. 18, 2005) — The Space Foundation, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting excellence in space endeavors and space education, is conducting a Space in the Classroom (SITC) educational program today for a select group of middle school students. Students from Jackson Middle School in Titusville are participating in the program, whose theme is `Opportunities in Aviation and Space.` The SITC event is in conjunction with the Florida Space 2005 conference held Nov. 15-17 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Students will begin the day at the Space Coast Regional airport, where they will hear about careers in the aviation and aerospace industries, view aircraft, take a tour of the control tower, and visit the hangar. The second part of the program takes place at NASA’s Exploration Station at the Kennedy Space Center. They will cover such topics as the history of spaceflight, Newton’s laws, rocketry, and the Space Shuttle program. Then they will build and launch paper rockets. “We are pleased to offer this hands-on opportunity for students to learn about career opportunities in aviation and aerospace,” said Dr. Patricia Arnold, vice president of education and workforce development at the Space Foundation. “These students represent the nation’s future workforce in these vital industries.” In addition to the SITC programs, the Space Foundation provides more than 200 lesson plans online that meet national science standards, manages the onsite NASA Educational Resource Center; offers two distinct Master’s in Space Studies Degrees in conjunction with the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and Regis University; and has trained more than 30,000 teachers since 1986 through Summer Institute graduate courses and national conferences. For information about conducting a SITC event in your area or the Space Foundation’s other education initiatives, contact Jonathan Ogg, director of education, at 719-576-8000 or [email protected]. About the Space Foundation Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, the Space Foundation is a national nonprofit organization that vigorously advances civil, commercial, and national security space endeavors and educational excellence. The Space Foundation has offices in Washington, D.C., and Cape Canaveral, Fla. In addition to Florida Space 2005, the Space Foundation annually conducts, along with its partnering organizations, the National Space Symposium, April 3-6, 2006, at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs; Inside Aerospace, 24-25 April 2006, in Washington, D.C.; and Strategic Space, 10-12 Oct. 2006 in Omaha, Neb. For more information, visit www.SpaceFoundation.org.