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Glenn Helps Draft the Agency's New Educational Framework
Recognizing that today's youth is tomorrow's workforce, NASA has developed a new framework for evaluating and improving its education portfolio -- programs, projects and activities -- to create a pipeline of highly-skilled workers who are ready to meet the challenges of the Vision for Exploration.
Image left: Hairston stays in touch with the future workforce. He is pictured here presenting a scaled version of the neighborhood mural, "Determined Wings," an innovative Glenn educational partnership created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of flight. Credit: NASA
"A lot of 'education programs' began to emerge that hadn't been evaluated through the proper checks and balances," explained John Hairston, Glenn's External Programs director. "Effective education programs are designed to inspire, or promote public awareness; engage individuals to interact with NASA's content; educate a targeted population using NASA-relevant resources; and employ agency-trained staff in disciplines needed to achieve NASA missions and strategic goals."
Over the past year, Hairston, who served as Acting Assistant Administrator for Education at Headquarters from May to November, and JoAnn Charleston, chief of Glenn's Office of Education Programs, helped develop the framework for this new education portfolio as members of the Education Coordination Committee (ECC). The 23-member ECC is comprised of representation from the agency's hi-level managers who can make decisions on behalf of their organizations and authorize funding.
The ECC was divided into four working groups and tasked with assessing NASA's education programs and funding. Hairston co-chaired the portfolio group that gathered data on education investments across the agency. Charleston co-chaired the group charged with creating an agencywide database for depositing, tracking and reviewing the pool of NASA-educated students and faculty as potential hires. The other two working groups, Performance Evaluation and Infrastructure Review, were charged with identifying a computation tool capable of accurately assessing individual data for a group decision, and identifying and eliminating duplication to enable new investments.
Image right: SEMAA high school students prepare an experiment to launch onboard the International Space Station. Image courtesy of Paragon TEC, Inc.
The ECC's efforts resulted in a document entitled "NASA Education Strategic Coordination Framework: A Portfolio Approach." The framework was distributed to the academic community in August. It identifies NASA goals and objectives, NASA personnel, facilities and the guidelines and requirements for NASA to pursue educational partnerships with academia, industry and informal educators to foster increased studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The ECC will continue to monitor and assess NASA's education portfolio with the help of Expert Choice 11, a software application that will enable members to submit their opinions and supporting data, onsite or remotely, evaluate and prioritize educational investment. The software will be installed at Education Offices at NASA's field centers and at Headquarters for ECC members to use and train selected staff. Although Glenn does not yet have the software, the center has already realigned its education programs to follow the new framework, and plans to schedule annual performance evaluations so that the portfolio's objectives can be effectively measured.
Hairston explained that Glenn's success with SEMAA (Science and Engineering Mathematics Aerospace Academy), as well as other innovative education programs, has made the center a key partner for demonstrating NASA education goals and objectives. Furthermore, Glenn's education successes have earned the center lead responsibility for two programs: NASA Explorer Schools and Motivating Undergraduates in Science and Technology (MUST), along with SEMAA.
"Being part of this process was a great opportunity for me personally and for this center," Hairston said. "At Glenn, we're committed to casting the widest net and closing any gaps in our education programs to ensure a steady supply of STEM-educated youth is available to ultimately join the NASA workforce."
Additional information on NASA's education portfolio, and a copy of the NASA Education Strategic Coordination Framework: A Portfolio Approach, is available at http://education.nasa.gov/pdf/151156main_NASA_Booklet_final_3.pdf
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By S. Jenise Veris
Recognizing that today's youth is tomorrow's workforce, NASA has developed a new framework for evaluating and improving its education portfolio -- programs, projects and activities -- to create a pipeline of highly-skilled workers who are ready to meet the challenges of the Vision for Exploration.
Image left: Hairston stays in touch with the future workforce. He is pictured here presenting a scaled version of the neighborhood mural, "Determined Wings," an innovative Glenn educational partnership created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of flight. Credit: NASA"A lot of 'education programs' began to emerge that hadn't been evaluated through the proper checks and balances," explained John Hairston, Glenn's External Programs director. "Effective education programs are designed to inspire, or promote public awareness; engage individuals to interact with NASA's content; educate a targeted population using NASA-relevant resources; and employ agency-trained staff in disciplines needed to achieve NASA missions and strategic goals."
Over the past year, Hairston, who served as Acting Assistant Administrator for Education at Headquarters from May to November, and JoAnn Charleston, chief of Glenn's Office of Education Programs, helped develop the framework for this new education portfolio as members of the Education Coordination Committee (ECC). The 23-member ECC is comprised of representation from the agency's hi-level managers who can make decisions on behalf of their organizations and authorize funding.
The ECC was divided into four working groups and tasked with assessing NASA's education programs and funding. Hairston co-chaired the portfolio group that gathered data on education investments across the agency. Charleston co-chaired the group charged with creating an agencywide database for depositing, tracking and reviewing the pool of NASA-educated students and faculty as potential hires. The other two working groups, Performance Evaluation and Infrastructure Review, were charged with identifying a computation tool capable of accurately assessing individual data for a group decision, and identifying and eliminating duplication to enable new investments.
Image right: SEMAA high school students prepare an experiment to launch onboard the International Space Station. Image courtesy of Paragon TEC, Inc. The ECC's efforts resulted in a document entitled "NASA Education Strategic Coordination Framework: A Portfolio Approach." The framework was distributed to the academic community in August. It identifies NASA goals and objectives, NASA personnel, facilities and the guidelines and requirements for NASA to pursue educational partnerships with academia, industry and informal educators to foster increased studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The ECC will continue to monitor and assess NASA's education portfolio with the help of Expert Choice 11, a software application that will enable members to submit their opinions and supporting data, onsite or remotely, evaluate and prioritize educational investment. The software will be installed at Education Offices at NASA's field centers and at Headquarters for ECC members to use and train selected staff. Although Glenn does not yet have the software, the center has already realigned its education programs to follow the new framework, and plans to schedule annual performance evaluations so that the portfolio's objectives can be effectively measured.
Hairston explained that Glenn's success with SEMAA (Science and Engineering Mathematics Aerospace Academy), as well as other innovative education programs, has made the center a key partner for demonstrating NASA education goals and objectives. Furthermore, Glenn's education successes have earned the center lead responsibility for two programs: NASA Explorer Schools and Motivating Undergraduates in Science and Technology (MUST), along with SEMAA.
"Being part of this process was a great opportunity for me personally and for this center," Hairston said. "At Glenn, we're committed to casting the widest net and closing any gaps in our education programs to ensure a steady supply of STEM-educated youth is available to ultimately join the NASA workforce."
Additional information on NASA's education portfolio, and a copy of the NASA Education Strategic Coordination Framework: A Portfolio Approach, is available at http://education.nasa.gov/pdf/151156main_NASA_Booklet_final_3.pdf
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