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Dwayne Brown
Headquarters, Washington          June 19, 2003
(Phone: 202/358-1726)

NASA REVIEWING EDUCATOR ASTRONAUT APPLICATIONS

RELEASE: 03-203

     The countdown has started for teachers from around the 
United States striving to become permanent members of NASA's 
Astronaut Corps.

NASA will review more than 1,600 applications from teachers 
for the three to six slots in the first class of Educator 
Astronauts. Educator Astronauts will be trained to perform 
spacewalks, operate the Space Shuttle's robotic arm and lead 
research experiments. Educator Astronauts will also share 
their extraordinary experience with millions of students and 
teachers in a unique NASA program designed to show learning 
in a whole new light.

Educator Astronauts will be able to provide a direct 
connection between America's teachers and students, and the 
various careers and opportunities associated with space 
exploration through the Nation's aerospace program. The 
Educator Astronaut Program (EAP) will generate renewed 
interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics 
and cultivate a new generation of scientists and engineers.

NASA will use criteria developed by a Blue Ribbon Panel to 
identify the final candidates. The panel is comprised of a 
diverse group of educators from the K-12 education 
community. The Space Foundation, one of the world's leading 
non-profit organizations supporting space activities and 
education, won a competitive bid to convene the Blue Ribbon 
Panel. 

The nine-member Blue Ribbon Panel will meet at the Space 
Foundation headquarters for an intensive five-week effort 
before submitting final criteria to NASA in July. The 
panel's goal is to establish an efficient and effective 
mechanism for selecting applicants, reviewing existing 
Educator Astronaut evaluative data, researching the 
literature on quality teachers, and identifying selection 
criteria. 

The Space Foundation conducts two of the top conferences for 
space professionals; the National Space Symposium and the 
International Space Symposium. Since 1986, the Space 
Foundation has trained more than 30,000 teachers via 
graduate courses and national conferences. 

More than 20,000 people have joined Educator Astronaut Earth 
Crew, which is a web-based education program that enables 
members to participate in NASA's missions. Earth Crew 
members can participate in national Web casts and assist 
NASA Mission Planners in organizing potential experiments 
and activities for the Educator Astronauts in space.

For information about the EAP and the Earth Crew on the 
Internet, visit:
 
http://edspace.nasa.gov/

For information about NASA education programs and 
initiatives on the Internet, visit:

http://education.nasa.gov/

For information about the Space Foundation on the Internet, 
visit: 

www.spacefoundation.org/education

For information about NASA, human space flight and other 
agency programs on the Internet, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov


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