New Home for Space Foundation Education Team

The Space Foundation is solidifying its position as one of the nation’s premier space-focused education providers with the establishment of the new Space Foundation Discovery Institute on the campus of the Jack Swigert Aerospace Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The Space Foundation Discovery Institute provides space- and aerospace-themed professional development, training, and support for teachers and students from around the world and serves as the base location for the Space Foundation’s popular education programs.  

The first education programs to be held at the new facility will be two successive Space Across the Curriculum courses titled Lunar/Mars Exploration and Base Construction conducted for Colorado Springs School District 11. Space Across the Curriculum classes are week-long, intensive, graduate-level, in-residence courses that provide PreK-12 educators with space-related science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education knowledge and content that is instantly transferable to the classroom. Participants can earn continuing education credits, graduate credits, or work towards master’s degrees in multiple related disciplines.

The first classes, conducted from Nov. 2-6 and Nov. 16-20, show teachers how to incorporate many different science topics into one project. Participants learn what it takes to establish and maintain a human presence on the moon or Mars. Teachers explore hands-on activities for each topic for immediate integration into the classroom. For the final project, participants design and build a model of a theoretically functioning lunar or Mars base that will be technically sustainable and house astronauts for exploration of the lunar or Martian surface.

For more information regarding the Space Foundation Education Department, the Space Foundation Discovery Institute, or the Space Across the Curriculum courses, visit the Space Foundation Education Web site at http://www.SpaceFoundation.org/Education.
 

This article is part of Space Watch: November 2009 (Volume: 8, Issue: 11).