NASA 9-12 Education Programs

    A team poses with their rocket presentation

    NASA's Student Launch Initiative gives a new meaning to "rocket science."
    Image Credit: Al Krause
    Educators and students may explore and experience unique space and aeronautics content through NASA's education opportunities. Learn about ways to interact with NASA engineers and scientists in the programs listed below.

    Click "Find out more" for further details and contact information. You can also view an alphabetical list of all student, educator and faculty programs.
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Program Descriptions

  • Aerospace Education Services Project

    [Educators Grades K-Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    AESP is a comprehensive project designed to reach out to the formal and informal education communities in all fifty states and the U.S. territories.

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  • Airborne Research Experiences for Educators Project

    [Educators Grades 6-12 & Students Higher Education]
    [Available Nationally]
    NASA offers the perfect package of adventure and career development. Teachers earn graduate level credits while spending six weeks in California as part of a residential science research program that includes flying on a NASA aircraft.

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  • Digital Learning Network

    [Educators and Students Grades K-Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    DLN offers videoconferencing or Webcasting at no charge, providing interactive educational experiences to students and educators from kindergarten to university levels across the Nation and around the world.

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  • Dropping In a Microgravity Environment

    [Educators & Students Grades 6-12]
    [Available: Nationally]
    The DIME competition challenges student teams to design, build, and operate microgravity experiments in a NASA drop tower.

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  • Education Associates

    [Educators Grades K-Higher Education & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Education Associates is a flexible year-round project that permits NASA scientists, engineers and managers to "tap higher education," while giving university students and faculty the opportunity to "experience NASA."

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  • Education Outreach Project at Johnson Space Center

    [Educators & Students Grades K-Higher Education]
    [Available: TX]
    Volunteers participate in various outreach opportunities, including lecturing or performing hands-on activities in the classroom, career shadowing, tutoring, mentoring and judging science fairs. Students must live within a 50-mile radius of JSC.

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  • Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate Project

    [Educators K-12 and Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    The project awards Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate Project Fellowships to K-12 formal educators (in-service, alternative route, pre-service) to develop and improve teachers' knowledge of pedagogical content. Fellows demonstrate changes in practice and apply science concepts with NASA content and educational materials.

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  • Engineering Design Challenges

    [Educators & Students Grades 5-12]
    [Available: Nationally]
    The Engineering Design Challenges Project connects students in their classrooms with the challenges faced by NASA engineers as they design the next generation of space vehicles, habitats and technology. Middle and high school students work on design challenges with their teachers. These challenges help students achieve national goals in science, mathematics and thinking skills.

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  • Exploration Infusion

    [Educators & Students Grades K-12]
    [Available: LA and MS]
    NASA curriculum materials in science, technology, engineering and mathematics are used to engage the education communities of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and the Gulf Coast Education Initiative Consortium.

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  • Eyes on the Sky Public Lecture Series

    [Educators & Students Grades 9-Higher Education]
    [Available: MD]
    Eyes on the Sky is a public lecture series featuring leading scientists and NASA's cutting edge scientific endeavors to answer some of the most profound questions about our universe.

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  • Global Climate Change Education Project

    [Educators Grades K-Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    The GCCE project is designed to strengthen the skills of teachers and to provide innovative science research and learning opportunities for students. The GCCE project annually solicits proposals for innovative education activities that support the goals of the project.

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  • HUNCH: High Schools United with NASA to Create Hardware

    [Students Grades 9-12]
    [Available: AL]
    HUNCH provides "work-world" experiences for students by engaging them in the design, fabrication and rapid prototyping of multiple products for use in the ARES I mock-up.

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  • Langley Aerospace Research Summer Scholars Project

    [Educators Grades Pre-K-Higher Education & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Participants spend 10 weeks conducting state-of-the-art research with other students from across the nation. They work with NASA researchers exploring an array of high-technology development projects and activities in pursuit of space exploration.

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  • Lewis' Educational & Research Collaborative Internship Project: NASA Scholars Project

    [Educators Grades K-Higher Education & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    This educational project offers opportunities for college sophomores through doctoral candidates. LERCIP provides students with introductory professional experiences to complement their academic programs and research interests under the guidance of a Glenn Research Center scientist or engineer.

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  • NASA Explorer Schools

    [Educators Grades 4-9]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Schools from across the country are eligible to apply online for an opportunity to partner with NASA in a project designed to bring engaging mathematics, science and technology learning to educators, students and families.

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  • National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program

    [Faculty and Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    This program provides NASA funding for space-related research, education and public service projects through a national network of 52 university-based Space Grant consortia.

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  • Teaching From Space

    [Educators & Students Grades K-12]
    [Available: Nationally]
    TFS uses the unique environment of human spaceflight to facilitate education opportunities that support science, mathematics, engineering and technology instructional materials through on-orbit education downlinks, demonstration activities and payloads.

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  • Virtual Learning Magnet for Space Science and Mathematics: Proof of Concept

    [Students & Educators Grades 9-12]
    [Available: Proof-of-Concept Completed June 30, 2009]
    The Council for Chief State School Officers, through a cooperative agreement with NASA, engaged a small number of students in the study of introductory physics through the lens of space science and aeronautics research as a Proof of Concept for the Virtual Learning Magnet. Based on evaluation of the Proof of Concept and interest of the states, CCSSO may expand this learning opportunity.

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  • Workforce Coalition: Education Task Force

    [Educators K-Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    The Workforce Coalition task force will use a systems approach to engage community stakeholders in facilitating partnerships to build skills needed for the workforce.

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