Monthly Archives: February 2019

by Emma Marcucci and Holly Ryer, Space Telescope Science Institute Research shows that out-of-school-time programs play an important role in supporting learning experiences and shaping youth identity in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). Young learners (particularly girls) who participate in STEM activities outside of school are more likely to say they will pursue STEM subjects later in their education. In addition, there is strong evidence that inquiry-based approaches benefit both individual and collective learning and support the development of twenty-first century skills. These approaches encourage youth to solve complex problems, work in teams, communicate findings, and apply knowledge to novel [...]

by Stephanie Vierow-Fields, Education Coordinator at the Space Science Institute As we gear up for the Universe of Stories summer learning event and NASA’s Apollo 11 50th anniversary, NASA@ My Library and the Northwest Earth and Space Science Pipeline are collaborating to promote a unique engineering challenge from the University of Washington in Seattle, WA, offering students the chance to land on the “Moon”.  Well, a map of the Moon at least.  A Lego Mindstorms robot, with a plastic astronaut strapped to the front, approaches the lunar lander. Credit: Dennis Wise/University of Washington With the advent of new and [...]