Overview
Congratulations to the 2017 Microgravity University for Educators teams.
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Microgravity University for Educators (MgUE) provides training on microgravity-related concepts, experimental testing using NASA's simulated microgravity test facilities, and post-experience outreach. MgUE begins with the submission of proposals from educators willing to perform experiments on behalf of K-12 students in simulated microgravity environments.
Experiments involve student-derived solutions to technical problems, or improvements to existing solutions, identified by NASA scientists and engineers who use simulated microgravity environments in their work. Examples include designing a docking device that will lock with no given rotational force, designing a grapple structure to transfer cargo, and/or designs for tethers, satellite/asteroid capture or deployment, and astronaut training.
Professional development for educators includes pre-requisite online training that prepares them to teach in-depth lessons about microgravity and how NASA simulates microgravity on Earth. Two face-to-face institutes will host groups of approximately 30 teachers each for one week at a NASA field center. Institutes provide opportunities for conducting student-derived experiments within a simulated microgravity environment. Each institute continues the training on NASA Education resources in microgravity related topics (i.e. law of gravity, free fall, orbital mechanics, long-duration spaceflight, etc.), presentations from subject matter experts, tours of center facilities, experimentation on a simulated microgravity test platform, and videoconferences with home campuses.
Leading up to the institutes, educators are paired with JSC employee mentors who help them integrate student-derived experiments with the selected test facility. Also, educators are prepped for post-institute outreach activities where lessons and presentations developed through their participation are shared with the local, state, regional, and/or national education community.
