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Michael Mewhinney                   April 21, 2003
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
Phone: 650/604-3937 or 650/604-9000
E-mail: Michael.Mewhinney{at}nasa.gov

Marisa Spatafore
Foothill - De Anza Community College District, Los Altos Hills, CA.
Phone: 650/949-6100
E-mail: spataforemarisa{at}fhda.edu

Kurt Hueg
Foothill College, Los Altos Hills, Calif.
Phone: 650/949-7645
E-mail: huegkurt{at}foothill.edu

Terri O'Connor
De Anza College, Cupertino, Calif.
Phone: 408/864-8672
E-mail: oconnorterri{at}deanza.edu

RELEASE: 03-30AR
NOTE TO EDITORS AND NEWS DIRECTORS:  News media representatives are
invited to attend an informal signing ceremony on Tuesday, April 22,
at 5:00 p.m. PDT, in the NASA Ames visitor center. Participants will
include Dr. Adena Loston, associate administrator for education at
NASA Headquarters; Estelle Condon, associate director for
astrobiology and space programs at NASA Ames; Donald James, director
of the NASA Ames education office; Dr. Bernadine Chuck Fong,
president of Foothill College; and Dr. Martha J. Kanter, president of
De Anza College.  To reach the NASA Ames visitor center, take the
Moffett Field exit from U.S. 101 and drive east to the main gate,
Moffett Field.  At the four-way stop sign, turn left and drive about
1/4 mille on R.T. Jones Road to the visitor center, located on the
right.

NASA TO PARTNER WITH FOOTHILL - DE ANZA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

NASA and the Foothill - De Anza Community College District are
signing a planning agreement tomorrow to facilitate the development
of an academic center in NASA Research Park for first-generation
college students interested in pursuing careers in science,
technology, engineering and education.

The college district's plan includes offering academic programs at
NASA to prepare students for information technology, astrobiology and
the life sciences, engineering, mathematics and physical sciences.

"This agreement will bring community college students in high-tech
career paths to classrooms and labs onsite at NASA Ames," said Dr.
Adena Loston, associate administrator for education at NASA
Headquarters.  "This partnership advances the goal of the new NASA
Education Enterprise, to inspire more students to study science,
technology, engineering and mathematics, with the ultimate goal of
having them choose careers in aeronautics and space at NASA. This
next generation of explorers will learn what it takes to develop the
technologies of tomorrow, through unique teaching and lab
experiences, provided as only NASA can." she said.

"We are delighted to sign this agreement and look forward to working
with the Foothill - De Anza Community College District as they embark
on this exciting project," said G. Scott Hubbard, director of NASA
Ames Research Center.  "NASA is committed to working hand in hand
with teachers and academic institutions to enhance educational
opportunities and programs, to provide access to unique NASA
products, learning materials, facilities and researchers, and to
inspire the next generation. The new center is an excellent way for
us to work collaboratively to accomplish these important goals," he
said.

"It is indeed a pleasure to be signing this agreement today," said
Dr. Lois A. Callahan, interim chancellor of the Foothill -De Anza
Community College District.  "Even though we are all experiencing
these extraordinarily difficult economic times, we must look to the
future. Working with NASA to plan a first-class educational center at
the NASA Research Park will move us forward as our economy recovers,"
she said.

"By collaborating with NASA and other partners of the NASA Research
Park, we are excited to plan for a new vision of higher education in
Silicon Valley," said Dr. Bernadine Chuck Fong, president of Foothill
College.

"To make a difference in the lives of Silicon Valley students
historically underrepresented in higher education, De Anza College is
proud to partner with NASA and our local high schools to provide new
educational models to give our students the math, science and
technology skills they must have to be successful in our new
economy," said Dr. Martha J. Kanter, president of De Anza College.

The Foothill-De Anza Community College District was founded in 1957
to serve residents of Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain
View, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale and portions of Santa Clara and San Jose.
The district also serves as the primary high school-to- community
college link to the Fremont Union, Mountain View-Los Altos Union and
Palo Alto Unified high school districts. District officials say the
challenge of the 21st century includes the need to serve a growing
and diverse student population. Since 1957, Foothill-De Anza has
responded to the needs of more than one million students who have
enrolled in its day, evening, off campus and online courses.  The
innovative workforce that has transformed the Silicon Valley is
comprised of more than 500,000 former Foothill-De Anza students.

Located on 213 acres at Moffett Field, NASA Research Park is
envisioned as a world-class, shared-use research and development
campus in association with academia, industry and non-profit
organizations. NASA Ames has a vibrant education outreach program,
hosting many events onsite and delivering NASA education materials to
classrooms nationally. NASA Ames is partnering with organizations to
conduct research in astrobiology, nanotechnology, information
technology and other aerospace-related research areas.

For more information about NASA Research Park on the Internet, visit:

            http://researchpark.arc.nasa.gov

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