The public interacted with a robotic submarine explorer in
Antarctica using telerobotic technology from the comfort of the
National Air and Space Museum. Photo: NASA.
To turn our Vision into reality, we present here several explicit policy statements concerning the role of education and public outreach in the OSS program. We will also take a number of near-term actions to begin to implement this Strategy. These will be only the first steps in the development of a long-term program. The Strategic Plan presented here is intended to be a living document that will be regularly revised on the basis of our successes and failures and our increasing experience in the development of the partnerships with the education community that constitute the centerpiece of this Plan.
We will implement our policies by developing the mechanisms to oversee and orchestrate a coherent program of education and public outreach activities. Emphasis will be on the infusion of education and outreach into all programs and missions, making education and public outreach a major responsibility for managers and NASA-supported scientists at NASA Headquarters, NASA Centers, universities, and research institutes across the country.
Specifically, OSS will:
o Continue current support of graduate student and postdoctoral education and research programs to provide for the space science workforce of the future and expand efforts in support of the education and training of undergraduate students. Where appropriate, students interested in careers in science teaching will be encouraged and supported;
o Make education and outreach a part of each flight program and research discipline. All major flight projects will have an education and outreach component and a person responsible for planning an education and outreach program and serving as an education and outreach focal point. While every individual investigator will not be required to participate in education and public outreach activities, it is expected that all flight projects and major research discipline areas, taken as a whole, will contribute to education and public understanding and appreciation of science in a substantive and continuing manner. OSS will provide incentives and legitimize educational and public outreach activities across all disciplines, programs, and projects;
o Focus on significantly increasing diversity in the space science community through education and outreach programs that encourage and promote involvement of women, underrepresented minorities, individuals with disabilities, minority educators and/or minority universities. Particular attention will be paid to increasing the contact of women and underrepresented minority students with appropriate professional role models and to the sponsorship of mentorship and internship programs in space science. Such programs must regularly be evaluated for impact and effectiveness;
o Appoint an OSS Education Officer to oversee the implementation and ongoing evaluation of the OSS Education and Public Outreach Strategy, and to provide a focal point for collaboration with the NASA Education Division and the NASA Minority University Research and Education Division;
o Establish an internal OSS Education Steering Committee to prepare a detailed plan for implementation, coordination, and evaluation of this Strategy, to guide the implementation on an ongoing basis, and to oversee progress. The Steering Committee will consist of representatives from each OSS division, relevant NASA centers, major OSS projects, and members of the NASA Education Division and the NASA Minority University Research and Education Division. The OSS Education Officer will chair the committee.
o Create an Education and Public Outreach Subcommittee of the Space Science Advisory Committee (SScAC) to obtain expert advice that will provide external guidance, oversight, and evaluation of the relevance and value of OSS education and outreach policies and programs. The members will represent the Nation's diversity and consist of space science researchers, project developers, educators, and others with broad experience in education and science literacy;
The public interacted with a robotic submarine explorer in
Antarctica using telerobotic technology from the comfort of the
National Air and Space Museum. Photo: NASA.
o Consult with minority educators, minority community leaders, and minority university faculty and staff to learn about the environment in which they work, and to build strategies and partnerships to maximize the contributions that space science experts might bring to minority education and outreach programs;
o Facilitate scientific involvement in education and public outreach by providing training and educational/public outreach materials. In particular, scientists will need training to become effectively involved in K-13 education. They must become aware of current developments in education reform, learn how to form effective partnerships, and obtain a much deeper understanding of teacher and student needs than they currently possess. Specific actions that will be undertaken to meet these needs include: