College of Education awarded grant for NASA's Teaching From Space Project

Monday, February 23, 2009

(February 23, 2009   Stillwater, OK) – The Oklahoma State University College of Education (COE) has been awarded a $4 million grant to manage the National Aeronautical and Space Administration’s (NASA) Teaching From Space Project for the next five years (2009-2013).
 
OSU and the College had managed the grant since its inception in 1985, and received it again following a competitive, open application process.   

“We are pleased to continue leading NASA’s Teaching From Space Project. The College of Education is proud of its association with NASA and places great value on the opportunity to provide educational opportunities for K-12 educators and students,” COE Dean Pamela Fry said.
 
“We are honored NASA has selected OSU to help lead the educational frontier of using orbital platforms to conduct educational programs from Space,” Dr. Steve Marks, OSU’s NASA Education Projects coordinator, said.
 
Teaching From Space is a national program involving educators and K-12 students.  The Teaching From Space Office facilitates education opportunities that use the unique environment of human spaceflight. The staff works with education communities to create learning opportunities through the use of educational and NASA technology. The TFS Office is located in the Astronaut Office of the NASA Johnson Space Center and works closely with crew members to facilitate live in-flight education downlinks, education payload operations, and education demonstration activities.
 
Oklahoma State University has 38 years of experience in educational partnerships with NASA. Currently, the University manages three NASA grants with nearly $7 million of funding this year and $30 million overall. In addition to the Teaching From Space Project, OSU and the College provide ongoing support for the NASA Explorer Schools Project/Digital Learning Network Module. Last spring, OSU added INSPIRE (Interdisciplinary National Science Project Incorporating Research and Education Experience), a program that helps to develop K-12 students’ educational opportunities in the science-related areas.