Galva Holstein, Ridge View and Schaller Crestland Community School District are participating in the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP; full details at http://ssep.ncesse.org) overseen by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE). The program is allowing us to conduct an experiment design competition for our fifth graders, middle school and high school students. Our student teams will be vying for use of an experiment slot reserved specifically for a mini-laboratory to fly aboard STS-135, the final flight of Shuttle Atlantis currently scheduled for Judy 8, 2011. This website is our SSEP Community Blog, detailing our participation in SSEP.
Our district is located in western Iowa, with a student population of about 800 students. We have 
developed a rigorous and unique program of STEM education emphasizing the core areas of mathematics and science with an infusion of technology and engineering. Our guiding principles for STEM include extensive laboratory experiences with diverse technological applications, intensive communication assignments designed to refine verbal and visual communication abilities, and an environment of intellectual and technical exchange with local business and industry mentors.
The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) will provide our students with an unprecedented, authentic challenge to design a real experiment to fly in space. Our STEM guiding principles – Rigor, Relevance, Understanding and Application – are all exemplified by the SSEP project.
You’re invited to visit the following sub-pages of this About page:
About SSEP
Community Demographics
Our Commitment to STEM Education
SSEP Strategic Relevance to Our STEM Ed Program
National Center for Earth and Space Science Education
