From Our Town to Outer Space: Bringing NASA science and engineering to underserved communities through a national public library exhibition program

September 1st, 2014 - August 31st, 2017 | PROJECT

From Our Town to Outer Space will inform, engage, and inspire new public audiences (library staff and patrons) by sharing NASA’s missions, challenges, and achievements. FOTOS is led by the Space Science Institute’s (SSI) National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL). NASA mission staff will be invited to participate as active members. NCIL is partnering with Evaluation & Research Associates (ERA) to provide formative and summative evaluation services. FOTOS is a standards-based, informal education program that will reach a broad audience of librarians, library patrons, and other members of the public with a special focus on underserved and underrepresented audiences. The 3-year pilot program includes: 1) a hands-on, museum- quality library exhibit (called Discover NASA: the science and engineering of tomorrow) and tour (to 7 libraries across the country), 2) the development and broad dissemination of active learning activities for different age groups, and 3) library staff training (online and in-person) that introduces them to the STEM content of the exhibit and guides them in developing complementary programming. The project will also develop resources for the existing STAR Library Education Network (STAR Net) community of practice (CoP) whose members include librarians and STEM professionals.

Project Website(s)

(no project website provided)

Project Products

Discover NASA: From Our Town to Outer Space
STAR Library Network Website
From Our Town to Outer Space (FOTOS): Bringing NASA science and engineering to underserved communities through a national public library exhibition program – Final Evaluation Report

Team Members

Paul Dusenbery, Principal Investigator, Space Science Institute

Funders

Funding Source: NASA
Funding Program: CP4SMP
Award Number: NNX15AB02G
Funding Amount: $735,455

Tags

Access and Inclusion: Rural
Audience: General Public | Museum | ISE Professionals | Scientists
Discipline: General STEM | Space science
Resource Type: Project Descriptions
Environment Type: Exhibitions | Library Exhibits | Library Programs | Professional Development | Conferences | Networks | Public Programs | Resource Centers and Networks