Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Educational Outreach”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 469 records · Page 26

Nebraska NativeGEM (Geospatial Extension Model)

This proposal, Nebraska NativeGEM (Geospatial Extension Model) features a unique diversity component stemming from the exceptional reputation NNSGC has built by delivering geospatial science experiences to Nebraska s Native Americans. For 7 years, NNSGC has partner4 with the 2 tribal colleges and 4 reservation school districts in Nebraska to form the Nebraska Native American Outreach Program (NNAOP), a partnership among tribal community leaders, academia, tribal schools, and industry reaching close to 1,OOO Native American youth, over 1,200 community members (Lehrer & Zendajas, 2001).NativeGEM addresses all three key components of Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) goals for advancing decision support, education, and workforce development through the GES. The existing long term commitments that the NNSGC and the GES have in these areas allow for the pursuit of a broad range of activities. NativeGEM builds upon these existing successful programs and collaborations. Outcomes and metrics for each proposed project are detailed in the Approach section of this document.

Bowen, Brent↗

[Activities of Center for Lidar and Atmospheric Sciences Students, Hampton University]

The mission of CLASS was to provide education and training in NASA-related mathematics, technology and science to US. students who are underrepresented. In these areas and to encourage them to pursue advanced degrees. The project has three goals which support this mission: research training, curriculum development and outreach. All project activities are designed to meet a concrete objective which directly advances one of these goals. The common theme of all project activities is NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, in particular, the use of laser-based remote sensing systems (lidars) to monitor and understand the earth's environment

Temple, Doyle↗

Integrating NASA Dryden Research Endeavors into the Teaching-Learning of Mathematics in the K-12 Classroom via the WWW

The primary goal of this project was to continue populating the currently existing web site developed in 1998 in conjunction with the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center and California Polytechnic State University, with more mathematics lesson plans and activities that K-12 teachers, students, home-schoolers, and parents could access. All of the activities, while demonstrating some mathematical topic, also showcase the research endeavors of the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. The website is located at: http://daniel.calpoly.edu/~dfrc/Robin. The secondary goal of this project was to share the web-based activities with educators at various conferences and workshops. To address the primary goal of this project, over the past year, several new activities were posted on the web site and some of the existing activities were enhanced to contain more video clips, photos, and materials for teachers. To address the project's secondary goal, the web-based activities were showcased at several conferences and workshops. Additionally, in order to measure and assess the outreach impact of the web site, a link to the web site hitbox.com was established in April 2001, which allowed for the collection of traffic statistics against the web site (such as the domains of visitors, the frequency of visitors to this web site, etc.) Provided is a description of some of the newly created activities posted on the web site during the project period of 2001-2002, followed by a description of the conferences and workshops at which some of the web-based activities were showcased. Next is a brief summary of the web site's traffic statistics demonstrating its worldwide educational impact, followed by a listing of some of the awards and accolades the web site has received.

Ward, Robin A.↗

Experiments and Project-Based Enhancements for STEM Learning

Motivating K-12 students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is an effort that requires consistent engagement. Throughout the K-12 student timeline, STEM educators need to continuously pivot their teaching and update their educational materials to motivate the next generation of students. Once students begin their undergraduate education, university professors need to encourage them to consider pursuing graduate studies to ensure that a qualified future workforce can be developed for research and teaching. In this paper, we present our work on developing STEM materials for K-12 student engagement. Our K-12 materials target the grid integration of hydrogen assets that are suitable to engage students in the classroom. Our undergraduate materials target hands-on projects and collaboration with industry to connect classroom learning with real-world applications and needs in renewable energy. Our work leverages available open-source models and tools to create projects for undergraduate students and motivate their interest in pursuing research topics in graduate-level education.

ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Mars Public Engagement Overview

This viewgraph presentation reviews the Mars public engagement goal to understand and protect our home planet, explore the Universe and search for life, and to inspire the next generation of explorers. Teacher workshops, robotics education, Mars student imaging and analysis programs, MARS Student Imaging Project (MSIP), Russian student participation, MARS museum visualization alliance, and commercialization concepts are all addressed in this project.

public outreach↗

Key insights from US Department of Energy Better Plants workforce development bootcamps (2022–2025)

This study examines the effectiveness of the US Department of Energy’s Better Plants Program Bootcamps, which are designed to enhance participants’ technical skills in improving energy efficiency and optimizing operations in manufacturing facilities. Through the analysis of survey data collected from 529 participants across 9 bootcamps, the research investigates the motivations, benefits, and demographic trends of attendees. The findings reveal that skill acquisition and improvement are primary drivers for participation, with key benefits including hands-on training on diagnostic equipment and software tools, networking opportunities, and access to technical resources. The analysis shows strong participation from sectors characterized by high energy consumption and employment, such as chemical and transportation equipment manufacturing. Over 50% of participants have job titles that include “EHS” or “Energy” showing their key roles in leading energy efficiency and energy management efforts in manufacturing. Furthermore, the analysis highlights the distribution of participants across managerial, engineering, and technical roles, revealing a higher representation of managers and engineers. This observation suggests a need for targeted outreach to engage technicians, equipment operators, maintenance staff, and floor workers to ensure comprehensive workforce development. The post-bootcamp survey showed that the participants highly valued the opportunities for peer learning and idea exchange, and the benefits they gained from them. This research contributes to the advancement of manufacturing education by demonstrating the efficacy of specialized training in addressing critical industry challenges and fostering a more competent and empowered workforce.

Energy efficiency↗

Digitized Educational Technology: A Learning Tool Using Remotely Sensed Data

Digitized Educational software for different levels of instruction were developed and placed on the web (geocities). Students attending the Pre-Engineering Summer 1998 Camp at Dillard University explored the use of the software which included presentations, applications, and special exercises. Student comments were received and considered for adjustments. The second outreach program included students from Colton Junior High School and Natural Science Majors at Dillard University. The Natural Majors completed a second survey concerning reasons why students selected majors in the Sciences and Mathematics. Two student research assistants (DU) and faculty members/parents of Colton Junior High assisted.

Love, Gloria Carter↗

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Training Grant Supplement

The following section summarizes the impact of the Ohio Space Grant Consortium (OSGC) in Ohio and to NASA over the last four-year period (February 1, 2001 to April 30, 2005) and highlights the important accomplishments of the consortium. The strength of the OSGC network of universities, community colleges, government agencies, industry, and outreach affiliates is well-established and is growing. The OSGC Consortium Management Structure was designed and remains committed to using the talents and diversity of everyone within this collaborative network, and operational policies and procedures are such that all consortium members are active contributors resulting in quality OSGC programs in research, education and service, while receiving a relatively small amount of NASA funds. The number of quality activities, both on- and off-campus, and collaborations/partnerships that OSGC has established with NASA and government agencies, state and local government, educational institutions, and private industry, has been impressive. Further desired university affiliate expansion requires additional funds. Diversity is shown in the OSGC 12-member Executive Committee by the presence of three campus representatives from Central State University, Wilberforce University, and The Ohio State University (two underrepresented minority, one female). One additional female campus representative (Cleveland State University) is currently on sabbatical leave and a valuable alternate member attends. Other additional female and underrepresented minority members are on the larger OSGC Advisory committee. All committee members participate fully in all consortium management and policy decisions. The OSGC Executive Committee strives to achieve and communicate a culture of trust, respect, teamwork, open communication, creativity, and empowerment. These programs have shown results and impact by their visibility and importance to Ohio and to NASA, resulting in strategic alliances created throughout Ohio. These alliances have improved over the last 4 years.

DeWitt, Kenneth J.↗

Public Outreach with NASA Lunar and Planetary Mapping and Modeling

NASA's Trek family of online portals is an exceptional collection of resources making it easy for students and the public to explore surfaces of planetary bodies using real data from real missions. Exotic landforms on other worlds and our plans to explore them provide inspiring context for science and technology lessons in classrooms, museums, and at home. These portals can be of great value to formal and informal educators, as well as to scientists working to share the excitement of the latest developments in planetary science, and can significantly enhance visibility and public engagement in missions of exploration.

LPMM↗

Technology in action

In keeping with the NASA Administrator's announcement that technology transfer will become a fundamental mission of NASA, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has initiated new programs to reach the heartland of U.S. industry. The Center has continued to expand its already well-established outreach program aimed at helping American business, industry, and academia at the grassroots level. The goal is to ensure that America regains and maintains its proper place of leadership among the world's technologically developed nations. MSFC's national goal is to enhance America's competitiveness in the world marketplace, fortify the value of the dollar, and ensure technological breakthroughs by American laboratories benefit taxpayers and industries. The Technology Utilization (TU) Office at MSFC believes a number of measures are possible to slow, then halt, and ultimately reverse the erosion of American technological leadership. MSFC's TU Office is reaching out to American industry on an increasingly broadening scope, facilitating the transfer of NASA derived technologies to American businesses, industries, educational institutions, and individuals. There are many valid approaches to achieving this goal. Some, such as the National Technology Initiative, begin at the top and work down through America's top corporate structure. Others, such as the technology transfer program that MSFC has implemented, begin at the one-on-one, grassroots level -- working with small and medium-sized firms that form the bulk of American industry. What can be done by one NASA center is, admittedly, limited. But by extrapolating this one-on-one approach to the more than 700 Federal laboratories, a great deal can be accomplished. This report contains an examination of outreach and in reach programs, problem statements programs, applications projects, new technology reporting, new technology administration, and the need for increased resources to further facilitate technology transfer.

Source record↗

Unleashing Gen Y: Marketing Mars to Millennials

Space advocates need to engage Generation Y (born 1977-1999).This outreach is necessary to recruit the next generation of scientists and engineers to explore Mars. Space advocates in the non-profit, private, and government sectors need to use a combination of technical communication, marketing, and politics, to develop messages that resonate with Gen Y. Until now, space messages have been generated by and for college-educated white males; Gen Y is much more diverse, including as much as one third minorities. Young women, too, need to be reached. My research has shown that messages emphasizing technology, fun, humor, and opportunity are the best means of reaching the Gen Y audience of 60 million (US population is 300 million). The important things space advocates must avoid are talking down to this generation, making false promises, or expecting them to "wait their turn" before they can participate. This is the MTV generation! We need to find ways of engaging Gen Y now to build a future where human beings can live and work on the planet Mars. In addition to the messages themselves, advocates need to keep up with Gen Y' s social networking and use of iPods, cell phones, and the Internet. NASA and space advocacy groups can use these tools for "viral marketing," where young people share targeted space-related information via cell phones or the Internet because they like it. Overall, Gen Y is a socially dynamic and media-savvy group; advocates' space messages need to be sincere, creative, and placed in locations where Gen Y lives. Mars messages must be memorable!

Leahy, Bart D.↗

Bringing Planetary Science Mission Outreach to the Deaf and Blind Communities

Introduction: Technology for enhancing outreach, like 3D printing, and science communication products, such as videos and podcasts, can be utilized within the planetary science community, especially for the engagement and excitement of current or upcoming planetary exploration missions. However, these communication products can also be further enhanced for the benefit of the blind and deaf communities. While such products may already be readily available, such projects are not easily accessible to blind and/or deaf certified educators, which often rely on making their own resources or do not have the funds to provide such resources (e.g., cost of 3D printers or cost of braille books). The planetary science community can have better practices to reach these broader audiences. Best practices can include transcripts from podcasts, transcripts in videos, and large-font captions. Images on websites and social media accounts should also include alt-text descriptive captions. 3D printing can also enhance planetary science for the blind community, through tactile posters, maps, and pamphlets. Planetary data can also be augmented by providing different tactile geological maps (e.g., topography or various datasets), and audio-visual videos freely available for educators. Visual Engagement: Visual engagement consists of several avenues to consider, the three main themes includes: 1) swag; 2) videos; 3) interactive exploration. Swag can include the fun visual take-home materials, such as stickers, posters, bookmarks, etc. Videos can include educational-specific videos (available freely via YouTube or by other educational-specific streaming avenues, such as Nebula or Curiosity Stream), provided they have Closed Captioning (CC). The use of QR codes to such videos or websites can also benefit to being added on swag. Interactive exploration can also be sub-divided by different types of engagement. A popular and still fairly new technology for public engagement is the use of virtual reality (VR). While this has been mainly for martian and lunar surface exploration [1], the deaf communities can benefit from VR through a more extensive look at our solar system and beyond (for example, a VR experience of the flight path, or visual map of the heliosphere/dynamics of our Sun). Audio Engagement: Audio tools can also be a useful avenue of communication, especially for the blind communities. Audio archiving can certainly be transcripts from the video engagements, but also the use of podcasts can also be a benefit. Podcasting can take on two forms: 1) interview engagement; and 2) update engagement. For interviews, scientists can communicate with STEM-specific podcast platforms to make other listener-bases aware of what is going on with a specific mission. For update-type communication, missions may opt to have an archived podcast of news, updates, and the teams involved. The most important aspect of such podcasts would be for the need of complimentary transcripts (including descriptive transcripts if sounds are included), and the limited use of jargon. Research Engagement: There have been several examples of involving the blind and low-vision communities in citizen science, such as through the NASA Heliophysics division. Examples include the NASA PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission led by the Southwest Research Institute [2], which include blind and visually-impaired citizens to assist in the Sun’s coronal rhythms.” Another example is the Eclipse Soundscapes: Citizen Science Project (ES:CSP), which documents observations of acoustical changes of nature and ecosystems during solar eclipse events [3]. Inclusivity: A major theme that is necessary for public engagement is inclusivity and the awareness of reaching broader audiences. Outreach to include hearing/seeing impaired communities are still lacking in the sciences. There are several opportunities that the planetary sciences could take. Other projects that have emerged from the space sciences include adding transcripts to visual engagement [4], and the use of 3D printing for the visually-impaired [5]. References: [1] Olgin, J. (2020) 51st LPSC, Abstract 2137. [2] https://scitechdaily.com/outreach-for-nasa-punch-mission-embraces-ancient-and-modern-sun-watching-theme/ [3] https://science.nasa.gov/science-activation-team/eclipse-soundscapes [4] NASA International Observe the Moon Night (Blind and Deaf Accessible), Youtube Video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neHCfg0S3-Q) [5] Richardson, J., et al. (2018) AGU Fall Meeting, Abstract ED23F-0963.

C J Ahrens↗

NASA Glenn OHIOVIEW FY01/02 Project

The results of the research performed by the university principal investigators are herein compiled. OhioView's general goals were: 1) To increase remote sensing education for Ohio s undergraduate and graduate students, and also enhancing curriculum in the mathematics and science for K-12 students using the capabilities of remote sensing; 2) To conduct advanced research to develop novel remote sensing applications, i.e. to turn data into information for more applications; 3) To maximize the use of remote sensing technology by the general public through outreach and the development of tools for more user-friendly access to remote sensing data.

Source record↗

Virtual Microscope Views of the Apollo 11 and 12 Lunar Samples

The Apollo virtual microscope is a means of viewing, over the Internet, polished thin sections of every rock in the Apollo lunar sample collections via software, duplicating many of the functions of a petrological microscope, is described. Images from the Apollo 11 and 12 missions may be viewed at: www.virtualmicroscope.org/content/apollo. Introduction: During the six NASA missions to the Moon from 1969-72 a total of 382 kilograms of rocks and soils, often referred to as "the legacy of Apollo", were collected and returned to Earth. A unique collection of polished thin sections (PTSs) was made from over 400 rocks by the Lunar Sample Curatorial Facility at the Johnson Spacecraft Center (JSC), Houston. These materials have been available for loan to approved PIs but of course they can't be simultaneously investigated by several researchers unless they are co-located or the sample is passed back and forward between them by mail/hand carrying which is inefficient and very risky for irreplaceable material. When The Open University (OU), the world's largest Distance Learning Higher Education Establishment found itself facing a comparable problem (how to supply thousands of undergraduate students with an interactive petrological microscope and a personal set of thin sections), it decided to develop a software tool called the Virtual Microscope (VM). As a result it is now able to make the unique and precious collection of Apollo specimens universally available as a resource for concurrent study by anybody in the world's Earth and Planetary Sciences community. Herein, we describe the first steps of a collaborative project between OU and the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Curatorial Facility to record a PTS for every lunar rock, beginning with those collected by the Apollo 11 and 12 missions. Method: Production of a virtual microscope dedicated to a particular theme divides into four main parts - photography, image processing, building and assembly of virtual microscope components, and publication on a website. Two large research quality microscopes are used to collect all the images required for a virtual microscope. The first is part of an integrated package that utilizes Leica PowerMosaic software and a motorised XYZ stage to generate large area mosaics. It includes a fast acquisition camera and depending on the PTS size normally is used to produce seamless mosaic images consisting of 100-500 individual photographs. If the sample is suitable, three mosaics of each sample are recorded - plane polarised light, between crossed polars and reflected light. In order for the VM to be a true petrological microscope it is necessary to recreate the features of a rotating stage and perform observations using filters to produce polarised light. Thus the petrological VM includes the capability of seeing changes in optical properties (pleochroism and birefringence) during rotation allowing mineral identification. The second microscope in the system provides the functions of the rotating stage. To this microscope we have added a robotically controlled motor to acquire seventy-two images (5 degree intervals) in plane polarised light and between crossed polars. To process the images acquired from the two microscopes involves a combination of proprietary software (Photoshop) and our own in-house code. The final stage involves assembling all the components in an HTML5 environment. Pathfinder investigations: We have undertaken a number of pilot studies to demonstrate the efficacy of the petrological microscope with lunar samples. The first was to make available on-line images collected from the Educational Package of Apollo samples provided by NASA to the UK STFC (Science and Technical Facilities Council) for loan as educational material e.g. for schools. The real PTSs of the samples are now no longer sent out to schools removing the risks associated with transport, accidental breakage and eliminating the possibility of loss. The availability of lunar sample VM-related material was further extended to include twenty-eight specimens from all of the Apollo missions. Some of these samples were made more generally available through an ibook entitled "Moon Rocks: an introduction to the Geology of the Moon," free from the Apple Bookstore. Research possibilities: Although the Virtual Microscope was originally conceived as a teaching aid and was later recognised as a means of public outreach and engagement, we now realize that it also has enormous potential as a high level research tool. Following discussions with the JSC Curators we have received Curation and Analysis Planning Team for Extraterrestrial Materials (CAPTEM) permission to embark on a programme of digitizing the entire lunar sample PTS collection for all three of the above purposes. By the time of the 47th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) we will have completed 81 rocks collected during the Apollo 11 and 12 missions and the data, with cross-links to the Lunar Sample Compendium will go live on the Web at the 47th LPSC. The VM images of the Apollo 11 (41 VM images) and 12 (40 VM images) missions can be viewed at: http:/www.virtualmicroscope.org/content/apollo. The lunar sample VM will enable large numbers of skilled/unskilled microscopists (professional and amateur researchers, educators and students, enthusiasts and the simply curious non-scientists) to share the information from a single sample. It will mean that all the PTSs already cut, even historical ones, could be available for new joint investigations or private study. The scientific return from the collection will increase exponentially as a result of further debate and discussion. Simultaneously the VM will remove the need for making unnecessary multiple samplings, avoid consignment of delicate/breakable specimens (all of which are priceless) to insecure mail/courier services and reduce direct labour and indirect costs, travel budgets and unproductive travelling time necessary for co-location of collaborating researchers. For the future we have already recognized further potential for virtual technology. There is nothing that a petrologist likes more than to see the original rock as a hand specimen. It is entirely possible to recreate virtual hand specimens with 3-D hard and software, already developed for viewing fossils, located within the Curatorial Facility, http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/lunar/lsc/index.cfm.

Gibson, E. K.↗

Hydropower Market Game

SF-25-121 The Hydropower Market Game is an interactive educational software developed to teach fundamental concepts of hydropower generation, operations, and its role within electricity markets. Developed in Python and powered by Pygame, the game combines narrative-driven learning with progressive, hands-on levels where players explore topics such as the relationship between water flow and power generation, dam operations, pumped-storage systems, market interactions, and environmental constraints.Designed to support outreach and workforce development initiatives, the game provides an intuitive and engaging way to build energy literacy and raise awareness of hydropower’s contribution to the nation’s energy system.

Ploussard, Quentin [Argonne National Laboratory (A↗

The Astroparticle Detectors Array—An Educational Project in Cosmic Ray Physics

ADA, short for Astroparticle Detectors Array, is an educational project aiming to detect cosmic radiation and possibly high-energy particles known as ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) or even to spot a supernova event. Its working process is the same as that used in professional cosmic ray observatories: it consists of simple detectors spread over the entire Italian territory and beyond. The detectors are hosted among high schools, associations, and private astronomical observatories. ADA has been operating since 2013 and was brought about with the intention of promoting astroparticle physics to any given level of outreach. Furthermore, ADA is becoming an interesting tool not only for teachers but also for independent and keen scientists. Over the years, we have discovered the importance of having a long series of data for studying the relation between and among cosmic rays, weather, and space weather and to investigate the main cause of oscillations in cosmic ray data. In this paper, we show what we find to be the most compelling results, such as the beautiful symmetry of the behavior between muons and the atmospheric temperature and, likewise, the evident anti-correlation between the intensity of the muons at ground level compared with solar activity.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

ISSLive!

The ISSLive! project is a JSC innovation award- winning, combined MOD/Education project to publish export control and PAO-approved ISS telemetry, and simplified and scrubbed crew timelines. The publication of this data will be real-time or near real time and will include links to the crew's social media feeds and existing streaming public video/audio feeds, via public-friendly website, mobile devices and tablet applications. Additionally, the project will offer interactive virtual 3D views of an ISS model based on real-time telemetry and a 3D virtual mission control center based on existing Front Room console positions in made for public displays. The ISSLive! project is MOD-managed and includes collaborations with subject-matter expertise from the ISS flight controllers regarding daily operations and planning, education program specialists from the JSC Office of Education, instructional designers, human computer interface experts, and software/hardware experts from MOD facility organization, and senior web designers. In support of the Agency s Strategic Goal #6 with respect to using the ISS National Laboratory for education activities, ISSLive! uses the Station itself as STEM education subject matter and provides data for STEM-based lessons plans using national standards. Specifically, ISSLive! supports and enables the National Laboratory Education (NLE) project to address the Agency s Strategic Goal #6. This goal mandates, sharing NASA with the public, educators, and students to provide opportunities to participate in our Mission, foster innovation .. ISSLive! satisfies the Agency s outcomes of Strategic Goal; that is, engages the public in NASA's missions by providing new pathways for participation (Outcome 6.3) and it informs, engages, and inspires the public by sharing NASA s missions, challenges, and results (Outcome 6.4). Additionally, ISSLive! enables MOD s support of JSC Outreach and NASA's Open Data and Open Government Initiatives. The audience for the ISSLive! website and its application(s) are: teachers, students, citizen scientists, and the general public who will be given new and interactive insights on how the ISS Operates.

Price, Jennifer B.↗

Shaping the FutureWorkforce: Challenges and Lessons Learned in HPC Education from National Labs and Computing Centers

Workforce training at national laboratories and computing centers is essential and typically falls into two categories: foundational training for newcomers and advanced training for experienced users. Foundational topics—such as version control, build systems, and basic HPC usage—are largely transferable across institutions, while cluster-specific training varies due to differences in hardware, job schedulers, and local workflows. Training on emerging technologies is split between hardware-specific content and broadly applicable programming paradigms. Here, to reduce redundancy and increase impact, national labs, computing centers, and vendors are collaborating through initiatives like the HPC Training Working Group to share best practices, co-develop materials, and broaden outreach. These coordinated efforts aim to make HPC training more accessible, scalable, and consistent across the community.

HPC↗