Community Profiles and Local Partners: SSEP Mission 2 to ISS


Mission 2 is Community’s First SSEP Flight Opportunity: Yellow
Mission 2 is Community’s at Least Second SSEP Flight Opportunity: Green
View Mission 2 to ISS Communities on a larger map

Note: the Chicago, Illinois, green pin on the map above is hidden by the Cicero, Illinois, yellow pin. Zoom on the map to see both.


SSEP Mission 2 to ISS

Experiment Design Competition and Selection of Flight Experiments: Winter/Spring 2012
Flight to ISS: launched October 7, 2012, on SpaceX-1 (Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft); returned to Earth November 18, 2012, on Soyuz 31S (see Flight Profile page)

 

The 11 communities profiled below are providing the opportunity for 15,120 grade 5-12 students to design and propose real experiments for flight aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of SSEP Mission 2 to ISS. A total of 72 schools in 9 States are engaged. Four of the communities participated in earlier SSEP flight opportunities on Space Shuttle missions STS-134 and STS-135, and Mission 1 to ISS.

Each community has a real research mini-laboratory reserved to fly on ISS for a microgravity flight experiment selected through their local SSEP experiment design competition. The Mission 2 to ISS community leadership project that a minimum of 4,530 students will be fully engaged in experiment design, and a minimum of 932 flight experiment proposals from student teams will be received.

A total of 32,650 grade preK-12 students are being given the opportunity to participate in SSEP Mission 2 community-wide programming, which includes the design of Mission Patches to fly aboard ISS.

 

1. Santa Monica, California

Program Scope
Experiment Design Competition: 1,050 grade 6-8 students given opportunity to participate
Expected Minimum Number of Students Fully Engaged in Experiment Design: 350
Expected Minimum Number of Student Team Proposals: 95

SSEP Community-wide Engagement Program: 3,000 grade K-9 students given opportunity to participate

Number of participating schools: 5; Franklin Elementary School, Lincoln Middle School, McKinley Elementary School, Roosevelt Elementary School, and Santa Monica High School

Community Statement on SSEP and Strategic Alignment to Local STEM Education Need
Despite fiscal challenges at the district and state levels, Lincoln Middle School is committed to enhancing the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) presence at our site and in our sister middle school and feeder elementary schools. Following the lead from the September 2010 Report to the President regarding PK-12 STEM Education, our work focuses on “preparing and inspiring all students through learning opportunities inside and beyond the classroom”. Our science department has moved forward with this focus in mind by providing numerous enriching experiences for students through resources from local universities and other science education venues, such as Lego Mindstorm robotics, nanoscience, and Physics Quest.

The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) will offer us a unique opportunity to move beyond the largely student-selected activities toward a campus-wide STEM effort that will develop a culture that nurtures life-long learning. The program offers a real science research opportunity for our students that will inspire the students, foster excitement across STEM disciplines, and engage the entire community. The opportunity for students under-represented in STEM fields to excel, and for the community to come together in learning, will significantly enhance our self-determined STEM goals. Including the entire community in the program will demonstrate to students the commitment our community has to their success in science, technology, engineering and mathematics topics and the high expectations we hold for each of them.

Partner Institutions
Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District
Lead: Lincoln Middle School

California Space Grant Consortium

SSEP Mission Participation
Mission 2 to ISS

SSEP Community Program Co-Directors
Marianna O’Brien
Science Teacher, Lincoln Middle School
mobrien@smmusd.org

Carol Wrabel
Science Teacher, Lincoln Middle School
cwrabel@smmusd.org

 

2. East Lyme, Connecticut

Program Scope
Experiment Design Competition: 426 grade 5-6 students participating
Expected Minimum Number of Students Fully Engaged in Experiment Design: 426
Expected Minimum Number of Student Team Proposals: 106

SSEP Community-wide Engagement Program: 3,123 grade K-12 students given opportunity to participate

Number of participating schools: 5; East Lyme High School, East Lyme Middle School, Lillie B. Haynes Elementary School, Niantic Center Elementary School, and Flanders Elementary School

Community Statement on SSEP and Strategic Alignment to Local STEM Education Need
East Lyme Public Schools is just starting to incorporate STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) goals into our curriculum. The middle school science classrooms are filled with a variety of hands on inquiry-based lessons and activities in order to match the needs of the student population and to address the Connecticut science curriculum strands, and our high school is focused on looking at curriculum with a 21st century lens.

One of our great strategic needs in STEM education is to demonstrate to our administration and community how we can integrate STEM goals into our existing curriculum. The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) is an excellent asset in this regard. The program will showcase how authentic research experiences can be interdisciplinary, engaging students in reading, writing, science, and technology. It also will serve as a framework for inspiring educators in the district to begin and continue utilizing STEM goals across the curriculum. By having the students work on real-world problem-solving and experiment design and seeing science in action as their experiment flies aboard the International Space Station and is performed by an astronaut crew member, is the kind of experience that may inspire students to take on science careers. Finally, the community engagement approach adopted by SSEP will ensure that our entire community is part of this adventure in real science on the human frontier.

Partner Institutions
East Lyme School District
Lead: East Lyme Middle School

Connecticut Space Grant Consortium
Dominion
Pfizer

SSEP Mission Participation
Mission 2 to ISS

SSEP Community Program Co-Directors
Deborah Galasso
Grade 6 Science Teacher
Deborah.Galasso@eastlymeschools.org 

Linda Nastri
Grade 6 Science Teacher
Linda.Nastri@eastlymeschools.org 

Carla Woitovich
School Library Media Specialist
Carla.Woitovich@eastlymeschools.org 

 

3. Chicago, Illinois

Noteworthy: this is the second SSEP flight for Chicago

Program Scope
Experiment Design Competition: 320 grade 4-8 students given opportunity to participate
Expected Minimum Number of Students Fully Engaged in Experiment Design: 290
Expected Minimum Number of Student Team Proposals: 77

SSEP Community-wide Engagement Program: 720 grade K-8 students given opportunity to participate

Number of participating schools: 1; Skinner West Classical, Fine Arts, and Technology School

Community Statement on SSEP and Strategic Alignment to Local STEM Education Need
Chicago is the headquarters for many of the country’s most technologically advanced firms, research laboratories, and universities. In support of such institutions, Skinner West is helping to nurture the next generation of highly-educated, technologically-capable workers. Our school believes in providing students with the most authentic and inspiring science experiences possible, coupled with rigorous instruction in the skills required to conduct scientific investigations. In addition to giving children the skills they need to succeed in the 21st Century, this method of science instruction also fosters a lifelong curiosity about the natural world, and gives children the power to answer their own questions.

The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) provides just the type of authentic science learning experience that Skinner West’s students need.

Partner Institutions
Chicago Public Schools
Lead: Skinner West Classical, Fine Arts, and Technology School

Motorola Solutions Foundation
Subaru of America, Inc.

SSEP Mission Participation
Mission 2 to ISS
SSEP on STS-135

SSEP Community Program Director
Kori Milroy
Skinner West Classical, Fine Arts, & Technology School
korimilroy@gmail.com

 

4. Cicero, Illinois

Program Scope
Experiment Design Competition: 490 grade 7 students participating
Expected Minimum Number of Students Fully Engaged in Experiment Design: 490
Expected Minimum Number of Student Team Proposals: 96

SSEP Community-wide Engagement Program: 2,705 grade 7 and 8 students given opportunity to participate

Number of participating schools: 1; Unity Junior High School

Community Statement on SSEP and Strategic Alignment to Local STEM Education Need
Cicero School District 99 is looking to adopt a STEM education approach that embraces a science curriculum giving students ample opportunities to become scientifically literate lifelong learners. The annual Unity Junior High School Science Fair is one example, where a project-based approach allows students to develop a hypothesis, and through the scientific process, gain a deeper understanding of the relationships between hypothesis, research, data, and summary. The fair features over 100 projects each year, with the entries judged by staff from Exxon Mobil, the Peggy Notebaert Museum of Nature, school administrators, Morton High School teachers, and Unity Junior High School teachers. To further enhance our approach to STEM education, we are collaborating with the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum to provide professional development opportunities to science teachers to help them implement science in their classrooms throughout the year.

The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) provides a great opportunity for the District to help reach our goals, providing teachers the ability to make science not only hands-on and engaging, but also meaningful to the students by taking into account their personal interests and motivations. SSEP will be an extraordinary experience that will captivate our students, give them an authentic understanding of how science is actually done – which is our main goal – and provide them with a better perspective of our place in the universe.

Partner Institutions
Cicero School District 99
Lead: Unity Junior High School

Exxon Mobil

SSEP Mission Participation
Mission 2 to ISS

SSEP Community Program Co-Directors
Elsa Berrios
Curriculum Director for Math and Science
eberrios@cicd99.edu

Vikki Parkinson
Assistant Superintendent for Student Services
VParkinson@cicd99.edu 

 

5. Fitchburg, Massachusetts

Noteworthy: this is the third SSEP flight for Fitchburg

Program Scope
Experiment Design Competition: 1,400 grade 9-12 students given opportunity to participate
Expected Minimum Number of Students Fully Engaged in Experiment Design: 500
Expected Minimum Number of Student Team Proposals: 90

SSEP Community-wide Engagement Program: 3,000 grade K-12 students given opportunity to participate

Number of participating schools: 10

Community Statement on SSEP and Strategic Alignment to Local STEM Education Need
The strategic need for our school community in STEM education is two-fold: it will dramatically increase student interest, and prepare and inspire our next generation of scientists for STEM careers; and it will provide new opportunities for community involvement.

Our goal is to empower our students by challenging them to ask authentic questions about the world they live in. Through SSEP, our students have an opportunity to generate such questions and integrate knowledge from across all of their educational experiences. Using math and science skills to develop and analyze a flight experiment, students will foster their ability to think critically. Engaging in the experiment design competition, they will experience professional scientific competition for resources and understand the importance of the communication skills they have been learning to master. This program also enables students to apply their unique vocational education skills to real-world problems.

Beyond engaging and educating students, families, educators and the local community benefit from this program, as well. Through exhibits and programs, and professional development opportunities, members of the Monty Tech community will assist and support teachers engaged in SSEP.

SSEP has assisted us in meeting our STEM education goals during the STS-135 and Mission 1 to ISS flight opportunities, and we are eager and proud to embark on our third SSEP flight opportunity, Mission 2 to ISS.

Partner Institutions
Lead: Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School

Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium
Nypro
NyproMold
NCMWIB: North Central Massachusetts Workforce Investment Board
OPK Biotech
Micron Integrated Technologies

SSEP Mission Participation
Mission 2 to ISS
Mission 1 to ISS
SSEP on STS-135

SSEP Community Program Director
Paula deDiego
Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School
dediego@montytech.net

 

6. Pennsauken, New Jersey

Program Scope
Experiment Design Competition: 300 grade 9 students participating
Expected Minimum Number of Students Fully Engaged in Experiment Design: 300
Expected Minimum Number of Student Team Proposals: 70

SSEP Community-wide Engagement Program: 5,500 grade preK-12 students given opportunity to participate

Number of participating schools: 10

Community Statement on SSEP and Strategic Alignment to Local STEM Education Need
Committed to excellence and a broad education of our young people, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education has become a focus of members of the Pennsauken School District community. Students should be immersed in programs that emphasize the integration of STEM disciplines, as the 21st century will see growing careers in these fields.

The District is committed to STEM education through its support of Family Science Nights and Lego Math Nights in its elementary schools, as well as an extensive annual science fair at the middle school. A rocket unit, focused on integrated technology, math, and science, has been recently added to the elementary school curriculum. The Pennsauken High School has provided students an opportunity to participate in Engineering and Environmental Science clubs as STEM-connected activities, and the school offers elective courses that include Engineering (building tech) and Computer Programming among its industrial-focused courses.

The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) will enable our students to experience authentic scientific experimentation while considering the implications of the engineering process and the real-life applications of such experiments. The program offers the students an opportunity to gain the necessary skills to be effective community members in the 21st century. Through the program, students and teachers will work toward a full understanding of STEM ideals while utilizing our resources to practice and apply their scientific knowledge.

Partner Institutions
Lead: Pennsauken Township Public Schools

Subaru of America, Inc.
The Dow Chemical Company
Holman Enterprises
Celgene Corporation
Lockheed Martin – Advanced Technology Laboratories
Cherry Tree Corporate Center
New Jersey Space Grant Consortium
HESS
Toth Technologies
WORKNET Occupational Medicine
Mega Wireless
Forman Mills

SSEP Mission Participation
Mission 2 to ISS

SSEP Community Program Co-Directors
Mike Ostroff
K-12 Science Supervisor
mostroff@pennsauken.net 

Peter Woodcock
Teacher of Science
pwoodcock@pennsauken.net 

 

7. Guilford County, North Carolina

Noteworthy: this is the second SSEP flight for Guilford County

Program Scope
Experiment Design Competition: 2,557 grade 6-8 students given opportunity to participate
Expected Minimum Number of Students Fully Engaged in Experiment Design: 300
Expected Minimum Number of Student Team Proposals: 30

SSEP Community-wide Engagement Program: at least 3,460 grade 6-12 students given opportunity to participate

Number of participating schools: at least 11

Community Statement on SSEP and Strategic Alignment to Local STEM Education Need
The city of Greensboro and Guilford County are now working on a strategic plan to attract technology-based corporations into the area. One of the first steps has been the development of The Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, a joint venture of the North Carolina A&T State University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The state is investing heavily in pathways for graduating STEM students to seek employment locally, and to create an incentives “magnet” to draw STEM-related businesses into the area.

As a result, the Guilford County School District is working hard to renew emphasis in STEM education in grades K-12. Initiatives being planned include a STEM “early college” program for students in grades 9-12, and the Cosby Kids program, which emphasizes STEM as well as support for parents and the community.

The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) is an excellent way to help us meet our strategic STEM objectives by inspiring students in math, science, engineering and technology at a younger age. The program will help us meet the two-pronged recommendation – to prepare and to inspire – stated in the Report to the President written by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in September 2010. SSEP can help us create STEM-related experiences that excite and interest students of all backgrounds as they are immersed in real science, and cultivate teachers in STEM disciplines, who can in turn inspire and prepare our students.

Partner Institutions
Lead: Guilford County Schools

North Carolina Space Grant
The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro
Ellison Family Foundation
Enrichment Fund for the Guilford County Schools

SSEP Mission Participation
Mission 2 to ISS
SSEP on STS-134

SSEP Community Program Co-Directors
Shirley Stipe-Zendle
Student Services Administrator
Guilford County Schools Northern Region
stipezs@gcsnc.com 

Dr. Darcy Kemp
Executive Director
Guilford County Schools Northern Region

Team Leads
Lenny Sue French
Science Teacher
Mendenhall Middle School

Cassandra Flemming
Science Teacher
Ferndale Middle School

Robin Marrs
Science Teacher
Northeast Middle School

Alison Manka
Science Teacher
Johnson Street Global Studies K-8 Magnet

 

8. Houston, Texas – Johnston Middle School

Noteworthy: this is the second SSEP flight for Houston

Program Scope
Experiment Design Competition: 5,000 grade 5-12 students given opportunity to participate
Expected Minimum Number of Students Fully Engaged in Experiment Design: 595
Expected Minimum Number of Student Team Proposals: 125

SSEP Community-wide Engagement Program: 5,000 grade 5-12 students given opportunity to participate

Number of participating schools: 7

Community Statement on SSEP and Strategic Alignment to Local STEM Education Need
The schools from the Houston Independent School District (HISD) participating in the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) are dedicated to providing real-world science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) opportunities that will enhance the student’s application of principles and ideas taught in the classroom as part of the state-mandated curriculum. We believe that STEM can be taught effectively only when the students have the opportunity to apply their knowledge through the use of the scientific process in real-world situations.

Our schools participate in several projects providing students with this opportunity, such as Geoforce; NASA Explorer Schools design challenges and National Student Symposium; NASA’s Summer of Innovation; the Society for Women Engineer’s launch and recovery challenge; a student-led Habitat Garden; International Space Station (ISS) downlinks; annual Renzulli Fair for studying biomes; studying coastal ecosystems at the Artist Boat; as well as several robotics, rocketry, alternative energy and other technology programs.

SSEP provides an excellent opportunity for our students to apply the skills they have learned to the real world of science via an experiment to be conducted in the unique environment of the International Space Station. Two Houston schools enjoyed the benefits offered by the program during SSEP Mission 1 to the International Space Station; the program has now been expanded to seven schools in the district for Mission 2.

Partner Institutions
Houston Independent School District
Lead: Johnston Middle School

Texas Space Grant Consortium
KBR
Advanced Metal Fusion
Coca-Cola North America
Lockheed Martin

SSEP Mission Participation
Mission 2 to ISS
Mission 1 to ISS

SSEP Community Program Co-Directors

Amber Pinchback
Associate Principal, Johnston Middle School
APINCHBA@houstonisd.org

Lanena Berry
AVID Teacher, Johnston Middle School
LBERRY1@houstonisd.org

 

9. Presidio, Texas

Program Scope
Experiment Design Competition: 600 grade 7-12 students given opportunity to participate
Expected Minimum Number of Students Fully Engaged in Experiment Design: 480
Expected Minimum Number of Student Team Proposals: 120

SSEP Community-wide Engagement Program: 1,000 grade 3-12 students given opportunity to participate

Number of participating schools: 3; Presidio High School, Lucy Rede Franco Middle School, and Presidio Elementary School

Community Statement on SSEP and Strategic Alignment to Local STEM Education Need
Presidio Independent School District is committed to providing a quality and rich learning environment that encourages curiosity for the sciences and to see science come alive. This type of project-based learning through authentic science experiments addresses many aspects of the learning process so that the students themselves can become mentors to other students on multi-tasking and cognitive learning processes. Our goal is to enrich our students with the high caliber STEM education and skills required for them to succeed in the post-secondary level, be fully prepared to take on any “real-world” challenges, and be globally competitive. We also want to focus on increasing and strengthening participation of the underrepresented groups particularly females and minorities in the STEM related professions.

The SSEP program helps meet our strategic needs and addresses our STEM goals by giving us the opportunity to further expose students to a unique variety of project based learning experiences. At a time when it is critical that the next generation of scientists and engineers need to be inspired to accept challenges in science and technology, participation in the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program creates a real world opportunity for the Presidio ISD students. Being involved in the SSEP program will provide our students ownership of their experiences, pride in performing experiments like real scientists, stimulate further curiosity of the real world applications of science and technology, and inspire them to pursue STEM related careers.

Partner Institutions
Lead: Presidio Independent School District

ETT – Electric Transmission Texas
S. Kanetzky Engineering
Pfluger Associates Architects
Kleinman Consultants

SSEP Mission Participation
Mission 2 to ISS

SSEP Community Program Co-Directors
Shella Rivano Condino
Science Teacher, Presidio High School
scondino@presidio-isd.net

Dennis McEntire
Superintendent, Presidio ISD
dmcentire@presidio-isd.net 

 

10. Russell County, Virginia

Program Scope
Experiment Design Competition: 2,554 grade 5-12 students given opportunity to participate
Expected Minimum Number of Students Fully Engaged in Experiment Design: 380
Expected Minimum Number of Student Team Proposals: 38

SSEP Community-wide Engagement Program: 4,144 grade K-12 students given opportunity to participate

Number of participating schools: 17

Community Statement on SSEP and Strategic Alignment to Local STEM Education Need
The primary goal of the Russell County Public Schools is to provide our students with the necessary tools to be successful as they enter the workforce or continue their education at a post-secondary institution. With the changing focus of careers toward technological-based jobs within our county and throughout the nation, it is critical that our students have the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Our progressive education program is designed to offer students an opportunity to make a connection between what they are learning in the classroom and how that knowledge can be applied in ‘real world’ applications. While focusing on STEM, we also recognize that a student’s education must go beyond those four areas, for example by emphasizing the importance of oral and written skills.

The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) is a perfect fit to our STEM goals. The program will allow students to obtain a better understanding of how science happens in the real world. As they brainstorm, design their experiments, write their proposals, and compete for the opportunity to have their experiment fly on the International Space Station, the students will no longer be just learners in a classroom – they will be actively assuming the roles of scientists. This project-based type of a learning experience will provide the students with knowledge, skills, and confidence that will stay with them for a lifetime and cannot come from a classroom lecture or a worksheet.

Partner Institutions
Russell County Public Schools
Lead: Lebanon High School

Virginia Space Grant Consortium
Dominion Resources
CGI Technologies and Solutions
Verizon
Alpha Natural Resources
Russell County Board of Supervisers
Southwestern Virginia Technology Council
Northrop Grumman
Virginia Tech Southwest Center
Crutchfield

SSEP Mission Participation
Mission 2 to ISS

SSEP Community Program Co-Directors
Jane Carter
Chemistry and Physics Teacher, Lebanon High School
jhcarter@russell.k12.va.us 

Scotty Fletcher
Secondary Supervisor, Russell County Public Schools
sfletcher@russell.k12.va.us 

 

11. Shoreline, Washington

Program Scope
Experiment Design Competition: 420 grades 6 and 8 students participating
Expected Minimum Number of Students Fully Engaged in Experiment Design: 420
Expected Minimum Number of Student Team Proposals: 85

SSEP Community-wide Engagement Program: 1,000 grade 1-8 students given opportunity to participate

Number of participating schools: 2; Albert Einstein Middle School, Highland Terrace Elementary School

Community Statement on SSEP and Strategic Alignment to Local STEM Education Need
Shoreline School District has made a commitment to preparing students for the demands of the 21st century, particularly in math and science. Our guiding philosophy is for students to master rigorous math and science concepts through application and investigation. To this end, our school district has invested in new curricula in science and mathematics that are aligned with Washington State standards and that will prepare students for post-secondary school success. In addition, for the 2011-2012 school-year, two new specialists in science and math education were hired to provide professional development and support to all elementary and secondary science teachers in the district. The schools participating in SSEP Mission 2 also have a history of partnering with local agencies to develop science-related programs including an “Edible Schoolyard,” and school-wide recycling programs with the City of Shoreline, habitat restoration, and most recently a partnership with Boeing to support an after school science program for elementary students. In addition, Shoreline partners with community members to run an outstanding Math Olympiad program with almost 70% of 4th-6th grade students participating. Through the high rates of participation and engagement in programs such as these, we see a strategic need of providing students with math and science experiences that go beyond what is offered in traditional coursework. SSEP’s emphasis on having students carry out an authentic design an proposal process combined with our students’ high interest and motivation in science, technology, engineering and math will allow us to prepare students with skills, knowledge and experiences that will support them in school and beyond.

Partner Institutions and Individuals
Shoreline Public Schools
Co-Leads: Einstein Middle School, Highland Terrace Elementary School

University of Washington
Western Washington University
Amgen
Institute for Systems Biology
Exotic Metals Forming
Woodland Park Zoo
Tiia-Mai Redditt
Knossos Foundation
Shoreline Public Schools Foundation
Kathleen Wong and Family

SSEP Mission Participation
Mission 2 to ISS

SSEP Community Program Co-Directors
Stephanie Clark
Principal, Einstien Middle School
stephanie.clark@shorelineschools.org

Mike VanOrden
Principal, Highland Terrace Elementary School
mike.vanorden@shorelineschools.org 

The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) is a program of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) in the U.S., and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education internationally. It is enabled through a strategic partnership with DreamUp PBC and NanoRacks LLC, which are working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a National Laboratory. SSEP is the first pre-college STEM education program that is both a U.S. national initiative and implemented as an on-orbit commercial space venture.