April 28, 2009 Stephanie Schierholz Headquarters, Washington 202-358-4997 stephanie.schierholz@xxxxxxxx Jenna Maddix Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 jenna.c.maddix@xxxxxxxx RELEASE: 09-090 STUDENTS FROM NASA EXPLORER SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE MEET IN HOUSTON WASHINGTON -- Students and teachers from throughout the nation will be gathering at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston April 29-May 1 to present research results to fellow students and NASA scientists and engineers. The 62 students and 31 educators will represent 31 NASA Explorer Schools at an annual national student symposium. The students will learn more about NASA research and exploration through facility tours and presentations from astronauts, scientists and engineers. Students also will complete hands-on educational activities related to current NASA missions. The NASA Explorer Schools Project establishes a three-year partnership between NASA and school teams to help fourth through ninth grade education communities improve teaching and learning in science, technology, math and engineering. The project works primarily with diverse groups of students who are underrepresented in these disciplines or who are traditionally underserved in rural or urban parts of the country. The project joins educators, students and families in sustained involvement with NASA's research, discoveries and missions. The opportunity to participate in the symposium was open to all current NASA Explorer Schools. Students were required to complete a research investigation focused on NASA missions or research interests, including science, aerospace, reduced gravity, robotics, plant growth in space, or living and working in space. Regional virtual symposia were held in February and March at all 10 NASA centers using NASA's Digital Learning Network. The regional symposia challenged students to present their research projects to a panel of NASA experts via videoconferencing. Schools then competitively selected students to represent their school at the national symposium based upon the results of the regional symposia. The NASA Explorer Schools selected to attend are: Tanner High School, Tanner, Ala.; Cottonwood Day School, Chinle, Ariz.; Sanders Middle School, Sanders, Ariz.; Edward Harris Jr. Middle School, Elk Grove, Calif.; Johnson Elementary, Magnet for Space Exploration and Technology, San Diego; Roosevelt Middle School, Glendale, Calif.; San Cayetano Elementary School, Fillmore, Calif.; Sequoia Middle School, Porterville, Calif.; Two Rivers Magnet School, East Hartford, Conn.; Bear Creek Middle School, Fairburn, Ga.; Conyers Middle School, Conyers, Ga.; Park Creek Elementary School, Dalton, Ga.; Pearl City Elementary School, Pearl City, Hawaii; Harding Middle School, Des Moines, Iowa; Greenville Elementary School, Greenville, Ill.; Church Point Middle School, Church Point, La.; Robert L. Ford K-8 School, Lynn, Mass.; A.L. Holmes Academy, Detroit; Middle School at Parkside, Jackson, Mich.; Jefferson Community Schools, Minneapolis; Northeast Nodaway Elementary School, Parnell, Mo.; Lillie Burney Elementary, Hattiesburg, Miss.; Dr. Albert E. Einstein Academy, Elizabeth, N.J.; Broughal Middle School, Bethlehem, Pa.; Forest Lake Elementary Technology Magnet School, Hopkins, S.C.; Kadoka Elementary, Kadoka, S.D.; Dr. Hesiquio Rodriguez Elementary School, Harligen, Texas; Jacox Elementary, Norfolk, Va.; John B. Cary, Richmond, Va.; Solon Springs Schools, Solon Springs, Wis.; Arapahoe School, Arapahoe, Wyo. The NASA Explorer Schools project continues the agency's tradition of investing in the nation's education programs with the goal of attracting and retaining students in science, technology, engineering and math disciplines that are critical to NASA's future engineering, scientific and technical missions. Since the inception of the Explorer Schools project in 2003, NASA has established partnerships with a total of 249 schools from diverse communities located in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Video from the event will air on NASA Television's Video File on Friday, May 1. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv For more information about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit: http://explorerschools.nasa.gov For more information about NASA's education programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/education -end- To subscribe to the list, send a message to: hqnews-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To remove your address from the list, send a message to: hqnews-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
