July 14, 2011

Ann Marie Trotta Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1601 ann marie trotta@nasa gov

Amy Johnson Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va 757-864-7022 amy johnson@nasa gov

RELEASE: 11-227

NASA INTERNSHIP EXPOSES TEACHERS TO AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

HAMPTON, Va -- An innovative summer internship program will give 42 U S middle and high school teachers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience with NASA's latest aerospace engineering technologies while working closely with agency technical mentors

From July 18-29, those selected for the Simulation-Based Aerospace Engineering Teacher Professional Development program will learn about virtual technology so they can get their students excited about real-world science, technology, engineering and mathematics applications NASA's Office of Education and Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate sponsor the program

Simulation-based aerospace engineering relies on computer models and simulations of aerospace structures, materials, atmospheric flight conditions and system operations to design improvements for the next generation of flight vehicles and systems

"The greatest engineering accomplishments today are made possible because of modeling and simulation," said Behzad Raiszadeh, technical manager for the modeling and simulation initiative at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va "These highly qualified educators will see first hand how simulation is used to solve some of the most challenging NASA problems using the basic math and physics principles they teach in school "

Four NASA centers are participating in the program this year Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif ; Kennedy Space Center in Florida; and Langley are hosting workshops Johnson Space Center in Houston is supporting a workshop for the Hispanic community in Kingsville, Texas The centers employ extensive modeling and simulation tools in their research and technology development work

During the program, teachers will work alongside NASA mentors in various agency laboratories and have the opportunity to tour NASA facilities They also will participate in NASA's Digital Learning Network, learn about other agency educational resources, hear speakers, and develop lesson plans incorporating modeling and simulation concepts

Participating teachers are from nine states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, and Texas Half of the teachers represent schools with a minority population exceeding 50 percent After their internships, the teachers will implement the new lesson plans and share them with other teachers in their school districts The ultimate goal of the program is to get students interested in aerospace engineering and computer simulation early in their education

The teachers were required to obtain sponsorships from industry and academia Forty sponsors have committed post-workshop support to the teachers, including mentoring, classroom site visits, field trips, equipment loans, forums for future workshops and speakers, and financial donations

To learn more about this program, visit:

https://simaero rti org

To learn more about NASA's education programs, visit:

http://www nasa gov/education

For more information about the agency's aeronautics research, visit:

http://www aeronautics nasa gov

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