We have had a number of request in the past week for more baseline options for program participation, to both reduce cost and to allow single schools to participate if a district-wide approach will not work for them.
To provide maximum flexibility for participation in the SSEP we have therefore defined 3 possible levels of participation:
Option 1) the full community-wide engagement initiative in STEM education (the original program scope), consisting of two components:
• a Flight Experiment Design Competition across your community, with students vying for at least one experiment slot reserved for you aboard STS-134;
• a Community Program: programming meant to engage your students, their teachers, and their families, and which includes a National Team of scientists and engineers spending a week in your community to talk to 2,000-4,000 of your students—one classroom at a time, and providing presentations to families and the public;
Option 2) Option 1 above, but without the programming delivered by the National Team of scientists and engineers;
Option 3) the ability for an individual school to reserve a single experiment slot on STS-134, but without the community-wide experiment design competition and community-wide programming.
These new Options are now integrated into this website as text in purple marked with ‘NEW‘ on the Home page, the About SSEP page, and the How to Participate page. Also note the new Table in the Cost section on the How to Participate page, which provides a handy summary of program elements for each of the 3 Options, together with cost.
We are working to open this program up to as many school districts and schools that want to participate.
-Jeff
Fantastic program, Jeff!! I am amazed at the amount of effort put into this. You and those working with you deserve a huge Thank You for advancing Science Education. I just hope there is leadership in various communities to get as many projects as possible going. One concern, of course, has to be the poorer and inner city school districts who might like to participate, but cannot raise the funds. Is there any provision for funding those who want to but can’t? Of course, they probably don’t have the facilities in any case.
Always a concern of mine that a project, even one as great as this, will end up being supported by more wealthy school districts and Private Schools, who spend that much money on tuition for one child.
But that does not detract from the Great Vision of the program. If it involves young people in science, and encourages them to further their knowledge, how can it be anything but right?
Best of luck, and I hope you will update us frequently as to the progress of this great program!!
(I guess I worry about the disadvantaged kids due to my own experience)
Gary