A Successful Launch of "Blast Back To School" at Anne Beers Elementary (cont'd)

Photos by Chris Gunn/293

Mark Branch, Goddard education consultant, talks to students about success.

Anne Beers Elementary School is located in a middle class residential neighborhood in the District. It was opened in 1942 as a tribute to Anne Duvall Beers, one of the first women to serve in an important administrative position in the District of Columbia Public School System.

Anne Beers began its venture into aerospace education via the support of former Congressman, Louis Stokes of Ohio in 1998. He, in turn, connected the school with key people in NASA education at both NASA Goddard and NASA Glenn. A team of teachers from the school then participated in the NASA Educators Workshop at NASA Goddard.

Within two years, this innovative team had developed an after school program with the Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Aerospace Academy (SEMAA), integrated aerospace science education heavily into the curriculum, established a distance learning program with Orchard School of Science in Cleveland, Ohio and written a curriculum for use in a planetarium. Beers has an in-school planetarium and with the assistance of Space Explorers, has a shuttle simulator whereas students can "launch" and "land" a space shuttle. Last year, Anne Beers showcased an air to space museum to the community at large.

	Ginger Butcher spent her day inspiring students at Anne Beers.

To date, a number of Beers students and teachers have "lived" an aerospace science experience. They have had opportunities to visit NASA Goddard in Maryland, NASA Glenn and Wright Patterson, AFB, both in Ohio, NASA Flight Facility at Wallops Island in Virginia and Space Camps in both Florida and Alabama.

Through CORE's distribution network, the public has access to hundreds of videocassette, slide, and CD-ROM programs, chronicling NASA's state-of-the-art research and technology. NASA's educational materials on aeronautics and space provide a springboard for classroom discussion of life science, physical science, space science, energy, Earth science, mathematics, technology and career education. The only charge is for shipping and handling the free materials.

For more information about NASA CORE and to order "Blast Back to School" samplers over the Internet, visit: http://core.nasa.gov

For a list of NASA's first 50 Explorer Schools on the Internet, visit: http://explorerschools.nasa.gov

For information about other NASA Education programs on the
Internet, visit: http://education.nasa.go