Parents, teachers and students:
The Commercial Crew Program is holding an artwork contest now through October 28, 2020 for children ages four to 12 years old. The winning artwork will be used to create a 2021 calendar, which has a different space-related theme for each month.
Help children get education on topics like the International Space Station, astronauts, growing food in space and much more!
For more information visit: https://go.nasa.gov/3jiZxG4
Ever since she graduated kindergarten, Mackenzie Klima has dreamed of becoming a teacher. Over the summer, she virtually taught middle schoolers in Salvador, Brazil about her experiences in STEM and working with NASA, and tutored kindergarteners, first, and third graders in reading.
“I’m inspired by anything that challenges me. That rush of the ‘light-bulb’ moment is exhilarating, and STEM provides me those moments regularly. Math and science have never been strengths of mine in the traditional sense. Before I arrived at Iowa State, I didn’t have the confidence to think I could ever succeed in a STEM-related field.”
Klima grew up in Prior Lake, Minnesota and graduated from Prior Lake High School in 2015. She chose to attend Iowa State University because of its Educator Preparation Program. She is double majoring in Spanish and Elementary Education. Klima can speak both Spanish and English and hopes to pair her Spanish and elementary education degrees to teach in a bilingual elementary classroom.
During her time at Iowa State, Klima spent three years as the Educational Outreach Director for PrISUm Solar Car. As Outreach Director, she worked with various organizations and community members to coordinate all outreach events involving the solar car. During the summer of 2018, Klima had an internship at the NASA Ames Research Center as the Aeromechanics Branch Outreach Coordinator for the Mars Helicopter. In the fall of 2019, Klima had an internship at Twin Cities PBS in St. Paul, Minnesota helping develop and research STEM curriculum to align with the new PBS Kids show, “Hero Elementary.”
“I love everything about education, especially teaching English Language Learners and STEM.”
In December of 2017, Klima met Jay Staker at the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Holiday Reception. He encouraged her to apply for the Partner Schools Program and she was accepted and attended the Marshall Space Flight Center Workshop for educators in February 2018. During one lunch with Mr. Staker and the tour guide at Marshall, Klima learned that NASA provided internship opportunities to educators, so she applied. During the summer of 2018, she was able to intern at the NASA Ames Research Center, all thanks to Tomas Gonzalez-Torres, Jay Staker, Carmen Fuchs, and the administrative team at the Iowa Space Grant Consortium (ISGC).
Over the summer, Klima was given the opportunity to speak with two middle school classes at the Colégio Cândido Portinari bilingual program in Salvador, Brazil. Klima was connected to the program by her friend, Daniela Gerbasi Dantas, who is a teacher at Colégio Cândido Portinari.
“Daniela asked if I would be comfortable speaking to her students on Google Meet about my internship at NASA in 2018. I agreed and virtually met with her class of 7th graders on June 12th. Word spread throughout the school and I was given the chance to present to a different class of 8th graders on July 17th.”
While speaking with the students at Portinari, Klima was delighted to discover their curiosity and knowledge of NASA. A few students were huge NASA fans, and were eager to ask her questions about various NASA missions.
“I learned that children’s love for inquiry-based STEM education is universal. ”
This fall, Klima is student-teaching in Houston, Texas. Klima says she will happily incorporate STEM into her lessons whenever possible. She recently purchased the picture book, “Hidden Figures”, by Margot Lee Shetterly, and plans on reading it to her students this fall.
“It is crucial to show students that people who have been able to have exciting STEM opportunities and careers are human. We have made the same mistakes and struggled in the same classes. Our engineering projects have broken. Our science experiments have gone awry. Our math problems are complex. Our code sometimes doesn’t work for weeks on end. Students must see that their roadblocks are universal, and that these goals are still attainable through trial and error. As an educator, it is my honor to work with students as they learn through these processes, and outreach events are an integral piece of STEM education because they can inspire students to persevere through difficult obstacles.”
The application period for 2020-21 Iowa Space Grant Consortium (ISGC) graduate student fellowships is now open.
The fellowships are offered to support outstanding graduate students at Iowa State University and the University of Iowa who are pursuing research opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines that support the mission of NASA.
Awardees will receive $3,275 as a fellowship applied to their university account after receipt of an acceptance letter. Awards will be processed before the end of the Fall 2020 semester.
Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship, full-time enrollment at Iowa State or University of Iowa as of August 2020, and a graduation date no earlier than May 2021. Other requirements apply.
The application deadline is September 4, 2020. See the 2020-21 Graduate Fellowship page on the Iowa Space Grant Consortium web site for more information and a link to the application form.
Joel Montalbano, a 1988 graduate of Iowa State University’s Department of Aerospace Engineering, has been named manager of NASA’s International Space Station (ISS) program. The appointment became effective June 29.
“I am confident Joel’s leadership of this program will continue to expand the role of the space station as a national asset for exploration, science, and commercial use,” said Kathy Lueders, NASA’s associate administrator for Human Exploration and Operations.
Montalbano replaces Kirk Shireman, who has been ISS manager since 2015. Shireman is retiring from the agency to take a position in private industry.
“It is an honor to be named as the International Space Station Program Manager,” Montalbano said. “I’m looking forward to continuing our work with our domestic and international partners on this world-class laboratory. We are approaching the anniversary of 20 years of a continuous U.S. presence on the station, and it is clear to me that even greater accomplishments lie ahead in this global effort for the benefit of all humanity and the pathway to future human exploration.”
For nearly 20 years, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth that will enable long-duration human and robotic exploration into deep space. Under this unique international partnership, 239 people from 19 countries have visited the station.
Read a full NASA news release on Montalbano’s promotion.
Newly released this month, the ISGC has established the Education and Outreach (E&O) Program. E&O is a new category of funding as we start our program cycle for 2020 through 2021. E&O will provide support for ISGC formal and informal education, outreach affiliates.
Go to the ISGC website to learn more. The call for proposals for informal education can be found on the new E&O funding page.
The PDF is also provided here for in-depth criteria and program description: Education and Outreach RFP. The deadline is July 1, 2020.
Questions should be directed to the Associate Director: Jay Staker – jstaker@iastate.edu, 515-294-8417, or Assistant Director for Education: Sara Nelson – sdnelson@iastate.edu, 515-294-7021.
AMES, IA – The NASA Iowa Space Grant Consortium (ISGC) announced today that Dr. Sara Nelson will join the leadership team as assistant director for education and outreach.
Nelson is currently the state STEM specialist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and teaches science and literacy education courses at the School of Education.
“Dr. Nelson is a passionate supporter of STEM education,” said Jay Staker, ISGC associate director. “We are thrilled to have her work with the education community to provide professional development related to the NASA mission and utilize NASA educational products.”
As ISGC assistant director for education and outreach, Nelson will provide leadership for the ISGC programs that target the precollege audience and the efforts of the Education and Outreach Affiliates. These affiliates include science centers, museums, and other groups that serve the NASA mission.
Nelson and her team will also develop educational materials and experiences. Products already developed under Nelson’s leadership include Checkout STEM, STEM-Lit to Go!, Iowa 4-H and ISGC STEAM Academy activities and events, and several 4-H day camps.
Nelson received her Ph.D. in literacy education and M.Ed. in science education from Iowa State University. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Luther College.
In addition to her work at Iowa State University, Dr. Nelson sits on the State Science Leadership Team with the Iowa Department of Education, the North Central STEM Advisory Board for the Governor’s STEM Council, and the Science and Children Advisory Board of the National Science Teaching Association.
For more information on the NASA Iowa Space Grant Consortium, please visit: https://www.iaspacegrant.org/.
Contact for Release: Valyn Bodensteiner, Communications Strategist.
valynb@iastate.edu