Students Can Apply Now for Idaho Science & Aerospace Scholars Program

Idaho’s high school juniors can apply now to take part in Idaho’s exciting Science and Aerospace Scholars Program.

Through this competitive program, students from across Idaho take an engaging online course in space exploration and learn a broad range of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills aligned with Idaho’s content standards. Based on their performance in this course, students are then selected to participate in a weeklong, all-expenses-paid, residential Summer Academy at Boise State University and NASA Ames Research Center in California.

“The Idaho Science and Aerospace Scholars Program and Summer Academy give Idaho students the unprecedented opportunity to work directly with experts in science, technology, engineering and mathematics at NASA and right here in Idaho,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna said. “I am excited to partner with NASA, Barbara Morgan, Boise State and others to continue offering this program to our students this year.”

Through this program, 180 high school juniors will take the rigorous online course in space exploration and take part in Capstone Celebrations across the state.  Based on their work in the course, 88 students will then be selected to participate in the Summer Academy that takes place at Boise State and NASA Ames Research Center in California. 

Superintendent Luna worked with astronaut and Boise State Distinguished Educator-in-Residence Barbara Morgan to create this program in 2009 with seed money from the State Department of Education and in-kind donations from partner organizations. Now, the program is funded through a $1.2 million grant from NASA.

If you know of any high school juniors who have a passion for STEM subjects, please urge them to apply for this outstanding program. The application deadline is December 5, 2011.

To apply, visit the ISAS website and download the application and instructions.

Students can learn more about the experience of the Idaho Science and Aerospace Scholars Summer Academy in August 2011 by checking out our live blog of this summer’s events.

If you have questions during the application process, please contact Peter Kavouras.