 |  | | | | Registration Opens for JPL, Sally Ride Science Workshop
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04.25.07
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Educators can get involved in the first space shuttle flight of
Educator Astronaut Barbara Morgan by registering for an Educator
Institute offered by Northrop Grumman and Sally Ride Science in
collaboration with NASA. A professional development program for
upper elementary and middle school science teachers will be held
Saturday, May 5, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
Space Shuttle Endeavour is set to launch this summer to continue
assembly of the International Space Station by delivering a third
starboard truss segment. During the Educator Institute, teachers will
learn about the education activities associated with the STS-118
mission, including an engineering design challenge for the next school
year. Sally Ride, President and CEO of Sally Ride Science, said the
mission will have a special emphasis on science, technology, engineering
and mathematics.
 Image right: Educator Astronaut Barbara Morgan talks with teachers during the Sally Ride Science Workshop at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Image credit: Leesa Hubbard
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When astronauts return to the moon and then travel on to Mars and beyond,
they will need to learn how to plant and grow food. The challenge will
give students a chance to design their own lunar plant growth chambers,
and possibly use some of the millions of basil seeds set to fly aboard
Endeavour. Teachers will also get fun and high-quality activities and tools
to take back to classrooms, earn eight hours of professional development,
and hear from a NASA astronaut. The registration fee is $45.
"This workshop is an excellent opportunity for educators to focus on human
space flight," said David Seidel, manager of elementary and secondary
education programs at JPL. "Educator Astronaut Barbara Morgan is a truly
inspirational teacher, and her flight serves as a reminder that the children
in today's classrooms may one day be living and working in Earth orbit, on
the moon and on Mars."
Morgan began teaching in 1974. In 1985, NASA selected her to be the backup
to Christa McAuliffe for the Teacher in Space Program. In that role,
Morgan trained with McAuliffe, who was lost with her crewmates in the
Space Shuttle Challenger accident in 1986.
Morgan's flight provides a bridge for the objectives set forth in the
Teacher in Space Program and NASA's current Educator Astronaut Project,
which elevates teaching as a profession and as a means to inspire students.
Unlike the Teacher in Space Program, Educator Astronauts become full-time,
permanent astronauts. They fly as crew members with critical mission responsibilities,
as well as education-related goals.
To register for the Educator Institute, and for more information, visit: http://www.sallyrideeducators.com/ . For more information about STS-118,
its crew and related educator resources, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/sts118 .
Natalie Godwin 818-354-0850
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
2007-046
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