WASHINGTON - This Valentine's Day, future teachers will receive more than just sweets. Feb. 14-16, NASA will provide hands-on training through workshops and seminars at its 13th annual Pre-Service Teacher Conference.

Media are invited to attend the conference at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center in Alexandria, Va. The annual meeting attracts faculty and students from across the country. This year's motto is "Shaping the Future: Launching New Endeavors to Inspire the Next Generation of Explorers," reflecting the program's goal to enhance mathematics and science education in elementary and middle schools.

Since it began in 1994, the conference has hosted several hundred prospective elementary and middle school teachers from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities and select majority institutions. The program is a partnership among the education office at NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va., the National Institute of Aerospace, Hampton, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Md.

For more information about the NASA Pre-Service Teacher Conference, visit:

http://research.NIAnet.org/pstc/

For more information on NASA Education, visit:

http://education.nasa.gov

For more information about the National Institute of Aerospace, visit:

http://www.nianet.org

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