March 24, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: |
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NASA has signed a five-year Space Act Agreement with U.S. Satellite Laboratory of Rye, New York, to continue training elementary and secondary teachers to practice integrated education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, education.
NASA and U.S. Satellite have collaborated since 1999 to deliver quality educator professional development through the Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate Project. The new agreement — The Endeavor STEM Teaching Certificate Project — expands the relationship to build upon past successes to provide teacher and student access to unique NASA resources, including: subject matter experts, space-related content and live guest speakers in online coursework.
"U.S. Satellite has a strong record of enhancing the classroom skills of STEM educators," said Katie Wallace, manager of educator professional development for NASA. "We look forward to sharing our NASA assets with the Endeavor teachers as they help prepare the next generation of STEM professionals."
U.S. Satellite provides innovative, online STEM education teaching certificate coursework and STEM curricular products and consulting through alliances with colleges and universities.
"We are thrilled to continue our work with NASA. This helps to secure a learner's ongoing access to live interactions with NASA scientists and engineers and authentic STEM content within online courses, for both beginners and advanced STEM educators," said Glen Schuster, president and founder of U.S. Satellite. "This is a capstone to our long relationship with NASA Education."
University partners synergize their graduate courses with Endeavor courses into STEM Master's degree programs. Additionally, as part of Endeavor, all learners earn a Certificate in STEM Education. Each includes a leadership or research distinction. Endeavor's relationship with the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards provides an optional track for teachers to become Nationally Board Certified, or NBC, by blending coursework with portfolio NBC requirements.
This effort supports NASA Education's commitment to support existing STEM educators and to help meet the national goal of training 100,000 new STEM teachers by 2021.