Partners for 21st Century LearningFocusing Federal Investments in Science, Technology, Engineering

and Math

This presentation was produced under an Interagency Agreement (IAA) between the U.S.

Department of Education and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA),

IAA ED-ESE-14-J-0013.

The contents of this presentation do not necessarily represent the policies or views of the U.S. Department of Education, nor do they

imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any product, service or enterprise mentioned herein.

21st Century Community Learning Centers Program• Reaches students in high-poverty and low-performing

schools• Offers enrichment activities during non-school hours and

expanded learning time to complement regular academic programs

• Provides educational services to families of participating students

STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math: Education for Global Leadership• Cohesive national strategy• Engages the public and youth with STEM via real-world

connections to STEM content and professionals• Serves groups historically underrepresented in STEM fields• Leverages out-of-school time, a critical pathway for engaging

students in STEM fields

Interagency Partnerships• Offer authentic STEM content and experiences to

participating students• Provide opportunities to engage with STEM subject matter

experts• Effectively leverage the impact of multiple federal STEM

education investments

NASA Collaboration• Student teams develop solutions to challenges being

addressed by NASA scientists and engineers• 6 challenges offered • Students interact with NASA scientists and engineers,

through “virtual office hours”• 2013 – 20 sites across three states• 2015 – 80 sites across 10 states

The 6 Challenges1. Parachuting Onto Mars2. Spaced Out Sports3. Radiation Shield4. Why Pressure Suits?5. Packing Up for the Moon6. Design a Crew Exploration Vehicle

Parachuting Onto Mars• Build a drag device, like a

parachute, to slow the descent of a spacecraft or probe and protect its cargo for a successful landing

• Must protect the cargo bay when dropped from a height of at least 2 meters

• Students learn about design, surface area, mass, descent time

• Students create a video featuring the process they used to design the device

Spaced Out Sports• Design a sports game to be used

by astronauts on the International Space Station

• Focus of the game is a projectile launched toward a goal positioned at least 2 meters away in a microgravity environment

• Students learn about and apply Newton’s Laws of Motion

• Students create a video on the process they used to design the game

Radiation Shield• Build a shielding device to

protect astronauts and equipment from space radiation

• Students learn about the space environment, material properties and protective technologies

• Shield must pass test for flexibility, ballistic impact, load bearing and immersion in water

• Students produce a video explaining the process they used to build the shield

Why Pressure Suits?• Design a pressure suit that will

protect pilots or astronauts from low-pressure environments

• Suit must completely surround a person and be constructed of materials not affected by a vacuum or low-pressure environment

• Students learn about pressure, temperature and density – and how they vary with altitude

• Students produce a video detailing the process they used to design the pressure suit

Packing Up for the Moon• Design and develop a plant growth

chamber that could be used to grow plants on the moon

• Chamber requires systems that provide light, temperature control, water, nutrient delivery and power

• Students learn about design criteria and constraints, and how the lunar environment differs from earth’s

• Students produce a video about the process followed to design the plant growth chamber

Design a Crew Exploration Vehicle• Design and construct a Crew

Exploration Vehicle (CEV) to carry two toy astronauts as well as meet designated size and weight constraints

• Toy astronauts must stay in their seats during drop tests and be able to enter and exit the CEV through a designated hatch

• Students learn about the design process, troubleshooting, invention and innovation

• Students design a video describing the design and testing they used to build the CEV

Program Recognition• Department of Education leaders and NASA scientists

and engineers select student videos to be highlighted in a live Web event at the close of the program