Make it NASA
Overview
NASA Glenn’s Office of STEM Engagement recognizes the value of the maker movement, particularly with respect to its relevance to K-12 education. The Make it NASA project seeks to engage youth serving organizations that support student populations typically underrepresented in STEM fields through hands-on activities where students explore, learn, and create products relevant to NASA’s current missions and developing technologies. Make it NASA poses open-ended questions through a structured inquiry-based approach that allows students to be creative in using their own ideas while leveraging current and emerging technologies to formulate a product related to NASA Glenn’s research and the work of NASA as a whole.
Goals
- To partner with youth serving organizations with established informal learning environments and networks of interested participants
- To support participating organizations in connecting with existing making spaces in their communities to provide participants with experience using innovative making technologies
- To develop easily accessible STEM activities for underserved/underrepresented youth related to current NASA missions.
Scope
Each Make it NASA activity includes:
- A main question that NASA scientists and researchers are currently studying
- A step-by-step student journal to document student work
- Links to supporting NASA resources that extend the Make it NASA content
- Connections to NASA Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) where participants can discuss their Make it NASA products and the SMEs’ work at NASA
- Opportunities for student teams to present their finished Make it NASA products to the Office of STEM Engagement in the form of a live showcase event, slide presentation or video presentation
- In-person professional development for facilitators to learn how to conduct the Make it NASA activity in their own settings
- Support for connecting with local making spaces to enrich the Make it NASA project
Eligibility/Requirements
Make it NASA activities have been designed for students in the middle grades. Facilitators can modify challenges to fit the needs of their students or learning environment. These activities are open for anyone to use at any time, however the NASA Glenn Office of STEM engagement occasionally offers solicitations to provide funding for facilitating a selected activity during a specific window of time such as a summer or a school year.
Awardees of previous solicitations, please Submit your Student Solutions HERE:
Featured Content and News (coming soon)
- View available Make it NASA content modules
- NASA Glenn Announces STEM Collaboration Awardees for Summer 2022
- NASA Glenn Announces STEM Collaboration Opportunities for Winter 2022
Contact Information
Gerald Voltz
Education Program Specialist
gerald.w.voltz@nasa.gov
(216) 433-8817
Glenn Research Center – Office of STEM Engagement
Phone: (216) 433-6656
Email: GRC-Ed-Opportunities@nasa.gov
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