Connecticut NASA Education Collaborative Overview Currently there are several major thrusts which the CNEC is focusing on. Subcommittees therefore have been formed to facilitate the following initiatives: NASA Regional Educator Resource Center Training Sites Global Environmental Change Education Initiative State-wide Distance Learning via Technology Utilization School to Work Initiative CNEC Web site development NASA RERC Training Sites: Currently, the only NASA Regional Educator Resource Center is located in Willimantic at Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU). Plans are currently under way to open three additional training sites: The Science Center and Talcott Mountain Science Center in Hartford, and The Discovery Center in Bridgeport. This will provide easier access to and training of NASA educational support curriculum and programs. Be sure to check out our Upcoming Events or Workshop Guidelines should you want to see what will be offered this year. Appropriate trainers will have the ability to obtain specific NASA materials necessary to conduct their training via the RERCs within the state. The goal is to maximize the dissemination of NASA support curriculum in conjunction with some form of training, thus utilizing the existing personnel within the state. Those qualified to conduct the training would be members of CNEC. A framework is being established which will incoporate a support structure of Goddard Aerospace Education Specialists to assist those who have received the initial workshop training via CNEC workshops.   Global Environmental Change Education Initiative: The GECE is currently funded to assess, train, implement and evaluate appropriate NASA related support curriculum with respect to Environmental Change for CT teachers at the following levels: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Before this can occur, the following item needs to be addressed first: Statewide GECE curriculum needs assessment, which will then be linked and evaluated to current state frameworks This linkage will provide a valuable resource for teachers as they will be able to quickly ascertain the level or depth to which identified materials meet the state frameworks. A mere identification to a standard is insufficient, and thus an initial group of master teachers will be needed to begin this identification and alignment process. At this point the needs assessment has occurred, and the Connecticut Academy for Education in Mathematics, Science & Technology is helping to fund the development of an Online data base such that teachers can quickly assess what is available with respect to NASA materials within Connecticut. Statewide Distance Learning via Technology Utilization The aim of the distance learning model is to maximize the impact of NASA related teacher enhancement workshops and student support initiatives without NASA representatives necessarily being present within the state. The hope is to utilize NASA's video conferencing capabilities and tie these with appropriate instate frameworks. Examples may include linking to businesses, informal science centers, cable companies, or universities that have similar hardware. In this way CNEC and NASA could empower teachers and students by providing them interaction with people and locations that would otherwise inaccessible. For example, existing several NASA education projects could allow teachers and students to: virtually tour high fidelity mockups of International Space Station components at the Johnson Space Flight Center or converse with leading NASA scientist and engineers at the Goddard Space Flight Center. Current "Sharing NASA" projects include: Women of NASA Space Team Online Mars Team Online Aero Design Team Online NeurOn School to Work Initiative: Tapping into Connecticut's Aerospace Industry The goal of this initiative is to provide high school students with meaningful and authentic experiences in the aerospace industry by way of extended summer internships. Existing Career to Work models are in place, which are currently being revised and tailored for NASA specific contractors within Connecticut. This goal of the internships will be to: Increase student awareness in career opportunities relating to aerospace industries within Connecticut Increasing student motivation in science, mathematics, and technology students will experience first hand exposure in aerospace technical fields which in turn will increase student learning in these areas Increase the future pool of technical employees (engineers, scientists), which Connecticut can draw from Currently Greg Kane (CT State Supervisor Education Technology) is partnering with Goddard Space Flight Center Aerospace Educational Specialist to delineate the following items: Draft of plan to solicit NASA HQ and CT Aerospace Industry support Appropriate content/experiences for student internships Solicitation of Aerospace participants (cap needed, level specific) Scheduling of dates for student Career internship sessions Follow-up, evaluation, assessment CNEC Web site: As a means of providing one central site for communication, the CNEC web site will be used as the primary definitive source of information for its members and educators. This purpose of this tool is fourfold: Highlight the individual initiatives for the CNEC systemic organization Outline the overall goals of CNEC Provide a centralized point of e-mail access to individual members, and the CNEC group listserv Facilitate the utilization of NASA support services within Connecticut for both formal and informal educational inquiries Provide an online calendar and advance registration of instate CNEC teacher workshops while also highlighting upcoming national NASA Education Project opportunities. Initiatives/ Goals/ Upcoming Events