NASA Informal Education Programs

    A woman stands next to a girl looking through a telescope

    Astronomy clubs are bringing the wonders of the universe to the public. Credit: NASA
    Students and educators may explore and experience unique space and aeronautics content through NASA's education opportunities for informal education. 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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  • Astro Camp

    [Students Grades K-8]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Astro Camp is an exciting, week-long mission for children located in Bay St. Louis, MS. Each year, it has activities centered around a new space exploration theme.

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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 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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  • Experimental Project to Stimulate Competitive Research

    [Faculty Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    EPSCoR provides jurisdictions of modest research infrastructure with funds to develop a more competitive research base within their jurisdiction and member academic institutions.

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  • Exploring Project

    [Students Grades 9-12]
    [Available: OH]
    Exploring increases student awareness of aeronautics, computer technology, balloon satellites and careers in each field. Exploring involves students in the designing, building and testing of projects.

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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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  • FIRST Robotics

    [Students Grades 9-12]
    [Available: Nationally]
    The FIRST Robotics Competition is an exciting, multinational competition that teams professionals and young people to solve an engineering design problem in an intense and competitive way.

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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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  • Interdisciplinary National Science Project Incorporating Research and Education Experience

    [Students Grades 9-12 and Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    NASA will engage selected students in its mission through multiple experiences in hands-on activities and internships designed to maximize their involvement in STEM education.

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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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  • Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Aerospace Academy

    [Students Grades K-12]
    [Available: DC, FL, GA, MD, MI, NM, NY, NC, OH, SD, TN and VA]
    The NASA SEMAA project is comprised of three unique, core components that collectively engage K-12 students, parents and adult family members, and teachers in exciting science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, opportunities.

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  • Visiting Researcher Exchange and Outreach Project

    [Educators & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    The Visiting Researcher Exchange and Outreach project is a collaboration between the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Academic Affairs Office and the Universities Space Research Association. The project is designed to stimulate involvement of university, private sector and government agency researchers with NASA.

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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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