Ann Marie Trotta
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1601
ann.marie.trotta@nasa.gov
Amy Johnson
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
757-864-7022
amy.johnson@nasa.gov
RELEASE: 11-227
NASA INTERNSHIP EXPOSES TEACHERS TO AEROSPACE ENGINEERING
HAMPTON, Va. -- An innovative summer internship program will give 42
U.S. middle and high school teachers a unique opportunity to gain
hands-on experience with NASA's latest aerospace engineering
technologies while working closely with agency technical mentors.
From July 18-29, those selected for the Simulation-Based Aerospace
Engineering Teacher Professional Development program will learn about
virtual technology so they can get their students excited about
real-world science, technology, engineering and mathematics
applications. NASA's Office of Education and Aeronautics Research
Mission Directorate sponsor the program.
Simulation-based aerospace engineering relies on computer models and
simulations of aerospace structures, materials, atmospheric flight
conditions and system operations to design improvements for the next
generation of flight vehicles and systems.
"The greatest engineering accomplishments today are made possible
because of modeling and simulation," said Behzad Raiszadeh, technical
manager for the modeling and simulation initiative at NASA's Langley
Research Center in Hampton, Va. "These highly qualified educators
will see first hand how simulation is used to solve some of the most
challenging NASA problems using the basic math and physics principles
they teach in school."
Four NASA centers are participating in the program this year. Ames
Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.; Kennedy Space Center in
Florida; and Langley are hosting workshops. Johnson Space Center in
Houston is supporting a workshop for the Hispanic community in
Kingsville, Texas. The centers employ extensive modeling and
simulation tools in their research and technology development work.
During the program, teachers will work alongside NASA mentors in
various agency laboratories and have the opportunity to tour NASA
facilities. They also will participate in NASA's Digital Learning
Network, learn about other agency educational resources, hear
speakers, and develop lesson plans incorporating modeling and
simulation concepts.
Participating teachers are from nine states: Alabama, Arizona,
California, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, and Texas.
Half of the teachers represent schools with a minority population
exceeding 50 percent. After their internships, the teachers will
implement the new lesson plans and share them with other teachers in
their school districts. The ultimate goal of the program is to get
students interested in aerospace engineering and computer simulation
early in their education.
The teachers were required to obtain sponsorships from industry and
academia. Forty sponsors have committed post-workshop support to the
teachers, including mentoring, classroom site visits, field trips,
equipment loans, forums for future workshops and speakers, and
financial donations.
To learn more about this program, visit:
To learn more about NASA's education programs, visit:
For more information about the agency's aeronautics research, visit:
http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov
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