Idaho’s high school juniors can apply now to take part in Idaho’s Science and Aerospace Scholars Program. This will be the fifth year of this innovative 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.
“Now in its fifth year, more and more Idaho students are seeing the great benefit of the Idaho Science and Aerospace Scholars Program,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna said. “Through a blend of digital and face-to-face learning, Idaho’s high school juniors are able to gain a deeper understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and hands-on experience working with experts in these fields.”
Each year, nearly 200 students take the rigorous online course, developed by Idaho Digital Learning Academy and NASA Johnson Space Center, and then take part in Capstone Celebrations at different sites across the state. Based on their work in the course, about half of these students go on to be selected to participate in the Summer Academy held at Boise State University and at the NASA Ames Research Center in California.
The Idaho State Department of Education with the support of NASA Aerospace Scholars, along with Idaho business, industry, and education partners, have teamed up to provide this exciting opportunity for Idaho high school juniors over the years.
Superintendent Luna and astronaut and Boise State Distinguished Educator-in-Residence Barbara Morgan originally created the program in 2009 by working together to provide seed money from the State Department of Education and in-kind donations from partner organizations. For the past three years, the program was funded through a $1.2 million grant from NASA. Superintendent Luna has requested $500,000 next year to continue this program.
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 9, 2013. To apply, download the application and instructions.
If you have questions during the application process, please contact Peter Kavouras at (208) 332-6975 or pgkavouras@sde.idaho.gov.
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