NASA INSPIRE

[ParkerF]

I hope everyone is enjoying their return to school.

The NASA INSPIRE Program has been mentioned before on these forums, but I'd like to inform everyone of some new opportunities that have just recently opened. This past Summer I was fortunate enough to serve an 8 week internship at Johnson Space Center through this great program, and as a part of my contract I am obligated to spread the word and recruit new members to the Online Community.

INSPIRE (Interdisciplinary National Science Project Incorporating Research and Education Experience) is a nation wide program offered for students in the 9-12 grades. After being accepted into the Online Learning Community, students are engaged in discussions, activities, online chats with NASA engineers, and many other activities to encourage their participation in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) majors and careers.

In the Spring, students are eligible to begin an application for the Summer Experiences which vary depending on grade level. These range from full summer internships, to day trips to their nearest NASA center.

More information about the program and the application itself can be found at this link. Applications opened August 27th, 2009 and close September 10th, 2009.

I encourage every student to look into participating in this learning experience, and for every mentor or teacher to spread the news. This past Summer has opened many more future opportunities for me at NASA than I previously imagined possible.


Thank you and good luck,
Parker Francis

P.S.- I would love to answer anyone's questions about the application process, the internship, and the great experiences available only to INSPIRE interns; You'd be surprised at what opportunities we had even in comparison to the Co-ops. Feel free to private message me for my e-mail.

[Akash Rastogi]

One thing to add, the application due September 10th is part of a different program that is part of INSPIRE. Its called an online community school but is different than the direct internships and programs that were held over the summer. Some of our students were also fortunate to attend the INSPIRE program at Virginia Tech this year and are also available for questions.

[JeffChan]

Thanks for the post.

I'm just wondering if the INSPIRE application due Sept 10th the same as the INSPIRE application that was due June 30th. We have two team members who applied for this program when it closed June 30th -- are the applications reopening again?

Jeff

[Akash Rastogi]

Originally Posted by JeffChan

Thanks for the post.

I'm just wondering if the INSPIRE application due Sept 10th the same as the INSPIRE application that was due June 30th. We have two team members who applied for this program when it closed June 30th -- are the applications reopening again?

Jeff

I believe its the same thing, with an extended deadline.

The Interdisciplinary National Science Project Incorporating Research and Education Experience is a multi-tiered year-round program designed for students in ninth- to 12th -grade who are interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, education and careers.

The Online Learning Community is INSPIRE's centerpiece providing a place for INSPIRE students to interact with their peers, NASA experts and education specialists. Through grade-level-appropriate educational activities, chats and the discussion board, students and their families will be exposed to the many careers and opportunities at NASA. The OLC also provides parents resources designed to help them champion their student's education and career goals. To ensure all students have an opportunity to participate in the OLC, those who qualify for the National School Lunch Program are eligible to receive a free laptop. Once accepted into the OLC, students and their parents remain participants of the community through the students' freshmen year of college as long as they stay active participants.

Members of the INSPIRE OLC have the opportunity to compete for a grade-appropriate summer STEM experiences that will be available in 2010. The summer STEM experience is designed to provide hands-on experiences to investigate education and careers in STEM at a NASA facility or university. All summer experiences, except the collegiate experience, will take place at the NASA facility within the student's service area. To locate the NASA facility corresponding to your service area please see the "NASA Facilities and Service Area" section.

[ParkerF]

Akash is correct. The June 30 applications are for the same part of the program, they were simply re-opened. The Summer Experience applications will not open until January or February, but the OLC is a prerequisite.

-Parker

[IBdrummer]

I was part of the INSPIRE internship program over the summer out at Kennedy Space Center and I would recommend it to anyone interested in any STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) career because it lets you explore these professions in an amazing atmosphere. I had the opportunity to go out to the pad, work on the Constellation program, and see what NASA is all about. It was the best summer I've ever had and I am definitely going to apply for it next summer.