For the second time, the EcoExploratorio: Puerto Rico Museum of Science received a grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA, in English) –of $800,000– that will be allocated to training programs and projects for students and teachers in public schools throughout the island.
The meteorologist Ada Monzonchief scientist and founder of EcoExploratorio, highlighted that thousands of young people and educators from kindergarten to twelfth grade will benefit from the initiative, which will focus on aerospace sciences using the disciplines STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
“NASA has technology that helps us observe how human life evolves and adapts to changes in the earthand how to ensure that human life is viable in space, especially with the new Artemis II mission that will take astronauts to lunar orbit in 2025. That will be the main focus of this grant for the next three years.”Monzón added in a press release.
The school educational projects that will be carried out under the EcoExploratorio ISLA Center will be framed under the theme “Living On and Beyond Earth”, which includes the adaptation of human life on Earth and in space. This knowledge will be implemented through the development of educational content and will be carried out through fairs, workshops, talks and activities that will be aligned with the objectives of the NASA TEAM II program.
“Space exploration has been one of the educational pillars of EcoExploratorio since its foundation. We have managed to make EcoExploratorio and its ISLA Center project the center of gravity of informal scientific education in the aerospace industry. This second grant awarded by NASA TEAM II to EcoExploratorio will further expand our impact and reach to train and promote knowledge, research, scientific innovationin addition to fostering interest, curiosity and exploration of aerospace sciences among students, teachers and educators in the public education system,” added Monzón.
For its part, Jenny M. Guevaraexecutive director of EcoExploratorio, indicated that “our ISLA Center has become the forum of the NASA scientific community for informal education in STEM and aerospace sciences, for the benefit of thousands of children and young people, teachers and educators in Puerto Rico with a resilient approach.”
As part of this grant, the ISLA Center will provide tailored training workshops and talks with NASA’s STEM program focus, in Spanish, to teachers and educators of formal and informal instruction from the seven school regions of the Education deparment for the period from 2024 to 2027.
In addition, fairs and activities will be held within the framework of NASA’s STEM educational modules for students and communities from all geographic areas of the island. The STEM fairs and activities will include the ISLA Center’s mobile exhibition “Geodomo,” where a short film will be shown in Spanish and English, highlighting the topics of earth sciences, space exploration, aerospace instrumentation and technology, conservation and protection of planet Earth, among other topics related to and focused on life on Earth and in space.
The educational offering will also include interaction between students and NASA scientists, engineers, researchers and experts, who will give talks on different topics related to aerospace sciences, their professional experiences and promote careers and professional opportunities at NASA.
Participating teachers and educators from formal and informal instruction will receive professional development credits and contact hour certificates upon completion of each workshop. Educational programs, workshops, and activities under the ISLA Center program are free of charge.
Another component of the ISLA Center’s educational program is that NASA STEM Fairs will have university students who are experts in the field as volunteers. University students who participate in the program as volunteers have the support of the Puerto Rico Space Grant Consortium, NASA EPSCoR, NASA ROSES and NASA MIRO.
For information on participation or collaboration opportunities, you can contact (787) 281-9090 or (787) 281-9091, or write to info@ecoexploratorio.org. You can also access ecoexploratorio.org or to social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok.