NASA rep promotes space jobs

As the recently named NASA education specialist for southwest Missouri, her goal is to make the federal space program more visible in the schools. Her job is part of the Missouri NASA Education Resource Center, based at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau.

“I can do in-service training for teachers or give demonstrations and presentations,” she said.

“Anything from a teacher saying, ‘I need a current set of planets, do you have one?’ to ‘Can you come in and teach the planets?’ We also cover home schools, private schools, youth groups and any community groups.”

One of NASA’s first local outreach efforts was Sept. 16–17 during Marshfield’s annual Harvest Days celebration. Marshall Space Center in Huntsville, Ala., a SEMO resource center partner, brought in the Mobile Theater, a self-contained outdoor video exhibit, and a scale replica of a space shuttle, complete with orbiter, external tank and solid rocket boosters.

The traveling exhibits are part of NASA’s efforts to increase emphasis on science and math education in schools, Whitehead said.

But the program’s other purpose is to remove the stigma associated with the organization.

“When I was growing up, everybody knew about the space program,” she said. “Now it’s not as much in the news unless, unfortunately, something goes wrong. You get so used to things going right that it’s not news unless something goes wrong.”

She added that the organization is about much more than just sending the shuttle into orbit and bringing it back to Earth.

“You think NASA, you think astronauts, but there are so many career potentials there – everything from rocket scientists to engineers, computer programmers, math technicians and statisticians,” Whitehead said. “Most kids have an interest in space, but they don’t see it as something they can pursue. One thing we want to do is make it known that you don’t have to go live on Mars to (work for NASA).”

This story originally appeared in SBJ’s Sept. 15 e-news Daily Update. Click here to register.[[In-content Ad]]