Last November, the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE, http://ncesse.org) sent you an announcement of opportunity for a STEM education program that engages typically hundreds of students (grades 5-12) across a community in real science aboard the International Space Station (ISS). It is called the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) and it is truly changing the way students and teachers view science, science education, and the process of learning. This is an authentic, immersive experience that embraces ownership in learning for the learner, and garners very significant media attention. We have flown on the final two Space Shuttle flights and now on ISS.
For the current opportunity – SSEP Mission 2 to ISS - each participating community is provided all launch services to fly a real microgravity research mini-laboratory on Space Station from September 28 to November 12, 2012 via
Soyuz 32, and a kit for assembly of their mini-lab. An 8-week experiment design competition, which includes your student teams writing and submitting real experiment proposals is held Spring 2012 (March-April). These teams are all designing real microgravity experiments and are vying for your community’s reserved mini-lab slot on Space Station. The process precisely mirrors how professional researchers design a research program and submit proposals to acquire the limited and necessary resources. This is student immersion IN REAL SCIENCE, with the opportunity to fly a real experiment on the INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION – AMERICA’S NEWEST NATIONAL LABORATORY - AS THE CARROT.
The flight opportunity I am writing you about is called Mission 2 to the International Space Station.
Yesterday, January 5, 2012, we announced the selection of 15 flight experiments representing the 12 communities participating in Mission 1 to ISS. From across the 12 communities, 779 student team proposals were received.
You might want to read the Press Release: http://ssep.ncesse.org/2012/01/grade-5-14-student-researcher-microgravity-experiments-selected-to-fly-in-march-2012-to-the-international-space-station/
My Center, a 501c3 non-profit, oversees the program. The program costs very real money, which is a hurdle in today’s economic climate. We are therefore committed to assist in finding funding for interested communities, we have found
funding for 28 of the 39 communities that have participated thus far, and have established a national network of funders. But fundraising needs time, and for you to have a Mission 2 to ISS program start on March 5, 2012, we need to fundraise right now, hence this email is a final call.
Also, if your community does want us to fundraise, we would need to see a plan that engages at least 200 and more likely 300 students in experiment design. Funders will ask how many student experiences will my funding provide, and for us to assign our precious labor hours to fundraising, we need to have a high expectation of success.
URGENT! If you are interested in SSEP, then ASAP have someone with authority over a team of teachers capable of carrying out this program in your community give me a call directly on my cell phone: 301-395-0770. NOTE: SSEP IS NOT DESIGNED FOR PARTICIPATION BY A GROUP AS SMALL AS AN INDIVIDUAL CLASS OF 30 STUDENTS.
The SSEP program home page: http://ssep.ncesse.org
PS: (if you've not seen it)
For the new year, as a shot in the arm for your teachers in tough times, a 3-min
Symphony of Science music video produced for teachers. It's a remix of my
National Science Teachers Association keynote address last March.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haUj3qUncOs
Best wishes,
Dr. Jeff Goldstein, Center Director and SSEP Program Creator
Cell: 301-395-0770
National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE)
http://ncesse.org
PO Box 3806
Capitol Heights, Maryland 20791
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