\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNASA Awards Launch Excitement for STEM Learning Nationwide\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/3-cerealboxviewer.jpg?w=1536\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\nSouthwest Girl Scout Council Leaders test out their \u201ccereal box\u201d pin-hole viewers to study the sun during educator training program.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nNASA awards inspire the next generation of explorers by helping community institutions like museums, science centers, libraries, and other informal education institutions and their partners bring science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) content to their communities. NASA\u2019s Next Generation STEM project has expanded the Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) program to include a new tier of funding and provide even more opportunities to informal educational institutions across the country.<\/p>\n
The new STEM Innovator tier will fund awards of approximately $250,000, the Community Anchor tier will continue to offer awards up to $50,000, and the highest award level will be designated the National Connector and fund initiatives up to $900,000. Fiscal year 2024 solicitations will target the Community Anchor and the new STEM Innovator award levels. Community Anchor and National Connector awards will be the focus for the fiscal year 2025 solicitation.<\/p>\n
The TEAM II program was first expanded to include Community Anchors in 2022. Since then, the program has designated over 50 institutions across 29 states as NASA Community Anchors. These awards support proposals that strengthen the STEM impact of many community organizations, including:<\/p>\n
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/whiting-village-school-2.jpeg?w=2048\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n5th-8th Graders from Whiting Village School join Flight Director Tyson as they embark on a Destination Mars Virtual Mission from their two-room schoolhouse in rural Maine.<\/div>\nNASA<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe Challenger Learning Center of Maine<\/strong> reached more than 960 K-8 students statewide through 58 virtual programs touching 27 mainland schools and four island schools, hosted a STEM community night for residents of rural Whiting, Maine, and held two virtual programs featuring NASA women engineers for girls across the state.<\/p>\n\u201cNASA\u2019s funding allowed Challenger Maine to provide this Mars mission experience for free to schools, no matter their size,\u201d said Kirsten Hibbard, executive director of the Challenger Learning Center of Maine. \u201cWe\u2019ve connected with new schools and become this resource, literally a community anchor of STEM, for these schools.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/2-vr-in-elmo.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nYouth at the Standing Arrow Powwow on the Flathead Reservation experience remote sensing content with virtual reality.<\/div>\nNASA<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe University of Montana spectrUM Discovery Area<\/strong> engaged western Montana\u2019s rural and tribal communities in understanding the role NASA and its partners play in sensing and responding to fire. SpectrUM developed the Montana Virtual Reality Fire Sensing Experience. Using ClassVR headsets, visitors learned about NOAA\u2019s (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Joint Polar Satellite System satellites, JPSS-1 and JPSS-2, and how they are used to remotely sense the Earth.<\/p>\nSpectrUM collaborated with its community advisory group, SciNation on the Flathead Reservation, to incorporate fire and Earth science curricula developed by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes into their field trip and educational programs, impacting hundreds of students.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/4a-museum-in-a-box-sparking-curiousity-barksdale-boy.jpg?w=1504\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nA student from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana is excited to complete an activity in the \u201cAeronautics Museum in a Box\u201d kit developed by NASA\u2019s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate; Community Anchor grantee Sci-Port Discovery Center in Shreveport, Louisiana; and Central Creativity, an education center in Laurel, Mississippi.<\/div>\nNASA<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nSci-Port Discovery Center Shreveport, Louisiana<\/strong> introduced middle and high school students to NASA aeronautics content through their Aeronautics Museum in a Box kits. The kits were developed in collaboration with NASA\u2019s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, Sci-Port, and Central Creativity. The kits include fun, hands-on activities focusing on the parts of an airplane, principles of flight, airplane structure and materials, propulsion, future of flight, careers, and more. Students and families from underserved communities across Northwest Louisiana tested the kits and shared feedback with developers.<\/p>\n\u201cMuseum in a Box brought our participants to new heights beyond their imagination. They see themselves as teachers for their children, as a source of guidance for STEM careers instead of gangs,\u201d said Dr. Heather Kleiner, director, Northwest LaSTEM Innovation Center, Sci-Port Discovery Center.<\/p>\n
U.S. informal education institutions interested in proposing for these awards are invited to attend an optional pre-proposal webinar Thursday, July 25, or Tuesday, August 13. Event times and connection details are available here<\/a>.<\/p>\nMore information about funding opportunities can be found on\u00a0NASA\u2019s TEAM II Grant Forecasting webpage<\/a>.<\/p>\nTo learn more about TEAM II Community Anchors, visit:TEAM II Community Anchors \u2013 NASA<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\nKeep Exploring<\/div>\nDiscover More Topics From NASA<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nNASA awards inspire the next generation of explorers by helping community institutions like museums, science centers, libraries, and other informal education institutions and their partners bring science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) content to their communities. NASA\u2019s Next Generation STEM project has expanded the Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) program to include a new tier of funding and provide even more opportunities to informal educational institutions across the country.<\/p>\n
The new STEM Innovator tier will fund awards of approximately $250,000, the Community Anchor tier will continue to offer awards up to $50,000, and the highest award level will be designated the National Connector and fund initiatives up to $900,000. Fiscal year 2024 solicitations will target the Community Anchor and the new STEM Innovator award levels. Community Anchor and National Connector awards will be the focus for the fiscal year 2025 solicitation.<\/p>\n
The TEAM II program was first expanded to include Community Anchors in 2022. Since then, the program has designated over 50 institutions across 29 states as NASA Community Anchors. These awards support proposals that strengthen the STEM impact of many community organizations, including:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/whiting-village-school-2.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/figure>The Challenger Learning Center of Maine<\/strong> reached more than 960 K-8 students statewide through 58 virtual programs touching 27 mainland schools and four island schools, hosted a STEM community night for residents of rural Whiting, Maine, and held two virtual programs featuring NASA women engineers for girls across the state.<\/p>\n \u201cNASA\u2019s funding allowed Challenger Maine to provide this Mars mission experience for free to schools, no matter their size,\u201d said Kirsten Hibbard, executive director of the Challenger Learning Center of Maine. \u201cWe\u2019ve connected with new schools and become this resource, literally a community anchor of STEM, for these schools.\u201d<\/p>\n The University of Montana spectrUM Discovery Area<\/strong> engaged western Montana\u2019s rural and tribal communities in understanding the role NASA and its partners play in sensing and responding to fire. SpectrUM developed the Montana Virtual Reality Fire Sensing Experience. Using ClassVR headsets, visitors learned about NOAA\u2019s (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Joint Polar Satellite System satellites, JPSS-1 and JPSS-2, and how they are used to remotely sense the Earth.<\/p>\n SpectrUM collaborated with its community advisory group, SciNation on the Flathead Reservation, to incorporate fire and Earth science curricula developed by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes into their field trip and educational programs, impacting hundreds of students.<\/p>\n Sci-Port Discovery Center Shreveport, Louisiana<\/strong> introduced middle and high school students to NASA aeronautics content through their Aeronautics Museum in a Box kits. The kits were developed in collaboration with NASA\u2019s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, Sci-Port, and Central Creativity. The kits include fun, hands-on activities focusing on the parts of an airplane, principles of flight, airplane structure and materials, propulsion, future of flight, careers, and more. Students and families from underserved communities across Northwest Louisiana tested the kits and shared feedback with developers.<\/p>\n \u201cMuseum in a Box brought our participants to new heights beyond their imagination. They see themselves as teachers for their children, as a source of guidance for STEM careers instead of gangs,\u201d said Dr. Heather Kleiner, director, Northwest LaSTEM Innovation Center, Sci-Port Discovery Center.<\/p>\n U.S. informal education institutions interested in proposing for these awards are invited to attend an optional pre-proposal webinar Thursday, July 25, or Tuesday, August 13. Event times and connection details are available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n More information about funding opportunities can be found on\u00a0NASA\u2019s TEAM II Grant Forecasting webpage<\/a>.<\/p>\n To learn more about TEAM II Community Anchors, visit:TEAM II Community Anchors \u2013 NASA<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/figure><\/a><\/figure>Discover More Topics From NASA<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n