Teaching STEM with NASA Ambassadors

GUEST BLOG

On July 20, 2019, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, and it will be the topic of much media attention. That means that summer 2019 is a perfect time to teach students about space and space travel. Most teachers, however, are not well-versed enough in these topics to feel comfortable  teaching astronomy, space science, or space history. Because of this, most students graduate from American high schools and universities with a lack of knowledge about space and our place in it.

One of NASA’s earth-bound missions is to change that equation. Its engineering center in Pasadena, CA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), is probably best known as a pioneering developer of robotic space missions, but did you know that NASA’s JPL also sponsors a program that makes space-related public speakers available to the public at no cost?

JPL’s Solar System Ambassadors Program can provide a relevant speaker or teacher for your school or event wherever you may live or teach. NASA and JPL leverage their ambassador force for public outreach and education. The Raleigh area is especially rich in NASA Ambassadors, with over a dozen living here. Their areas of expertise range from astronomy to space history, and they’re known to harbor specialist knowledge of many things in between. They can speak to elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, university classes and clubs, adult organizations and summer camps. They can speak to experts, to nerds, or to those wholly unfamiliar with space, rocketry, or planetary science.

As a JPL Solar System Ambassador since 2012, I’ve given over 500 talks and lectures to children of all ages and adults from all walks of life. I’ve spoken to kindergarten classes and Rotary Clubs. I’ve hosted downlinks from the International Space Station and conducted solar eclipse viewing classes. Here in Wake County, I’ve taught Newton’s Laws of Motion for 5th-grade teachers, geology and geography of Mars for 4th-grade teachers, and moon phases to 3rd graders, providing entirely new lessons or assisting teachers with their mandated curriculum. I’ve given lectures at astronomy star parties, advised on Boy Scout merit badges, and spoken at area science centers about SpaceX and their rivals in commercial space.

And sometimes, we just launch a rocket.

If you are a teacher, an interested parent, or an adult looking for public speakers on interesting topics, go to the Solar System Ambassadors website and request an ambassador, or email me at furiousvole@gmail.com to find out more or to book an appearance. It’s free, and the speakers are enthusiastic experts with a mandate from NASA to share their fascinating work. This STEM program is a great way to provide your children, students, or colleagues with unforgettable enrichment experiences.

–Marc Fusco, NASA Ambassador