NASA INSPIRE

NASA INSPIRE (Interdisciplinary National Science Project Incorporating Research and Education Experience) is a NASA educational program aimed towards high-schoolers and recent high-school graduates, in an effort to interest high-schoolers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Fields.^[1] There are four different summer programs, aimed at students who have just completed their 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th years of schooling. Students apply to the Online Learning Community (OLC) initially, then get the opportunity to apply for the summer programs, which are conducted through the Oklahoma State University. INSPIRE is currently one of NASA's largest educational outreach programs, with over 1,782 students, and has been referred to as a "great way to get high-school age students involved in science, technology, engineering, and math" by NASA officials.^[2]

Online Learning Community

Students must apply, or reapply if they are recurring participants, to the Online Learning Community in late March-June. The requirements a student must meet in order to be eligible for application are:

• Be entering the ninth through 12th grade when the school year begins.
• Be at least 13 years of age or older at the time of application.
• Be a U.S. citizen.
• Have a minimum of a 2.5 academic grade point average on an unweighted 4.0 scale.
• Demonstrate the desire and the academic preparation to pursue a STEM-related field of study beyond high school.
• Complete the online application process with all required documentation.

The required documentation includes a school transcript, listing of all STEM courses taken in high-school thus-far, extra-curricular activities, etc. The applicant must also complete three essays, and sign and mail an application certification.

Once accepted, the OLC participant has the opportunity to discuss STEM topics on an online forum, participate in group chats with NASA scientists and engineers, and gain points for completing STEM activities that range from calculations of trajectories to designing a potential lunar habitat. These points are a factor in selection for the summer programs.

Summer Programs

There are four summer programs that INSPIRE offers, but an INSPIRE participant can only be eligible for one, based on grade. The applicant must provide another application, which opens up in early January. This application requires recommendation letters, a new transcript copy, and the addition of any updates to the OLC profile (extra-curriculars, courses, etc.). The 11th-grade and 12th-grade experiences also have higher academic requirements, both needing at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA on a four-point scale.

Explorer Experience

Selected ninth-graders and their parents/guardians participate in a VIP tour and workshop over a weekend at the nearest NASA center.

Collegiate Experience

Tenth-graders stay for two weeks at a nearby space-grant university close to a NASA center. Meals, lodging, and transportation are provided. Students will have the opportunity to speak with NASA employees and officials, and learn more about STEM fields in general. Students are selected to participate based on performance in the NASA INSPIRE online community, academic performance in school and teacher recommendations.^[3]

Residential Internship

Eleventh-graders will stay for eight weeks at space-grant university close to the nearest NASA center relative to their location. They intern with a mentor, who is a NASA employee or government contractor on base, and work on a project provided by their mentor that both exposes them to a specific part of STEM and gives them valuable work experience. Meals, lodging, and transportation are provided, with weekends and workday lunches part of a per-diem setup. The participants earn a stipend based on local minimum wage. They also have workshops and lectures, and have the opportunity to participate in any center-wide tour or activity for the employees on base.

Pre-College Internship

This internship is for recently-graduated 12th-graders, before they attend college in the fall to major in a STEM field. It is structured similarly to the Residential Internship; however, the participants must find lodging, food, and transportation on their own. To compensate, however, wages are higher than that provided for the Residential Internship.

References

1. ^ NASA INSPIRE Website
2. ^ IEEE-USA Today's Engineer
3. ^ "Interview with Andrew Song - participant in NASA INSPIRE - 2010". http://onedublin.org/2010/08/22/nasa-sponsors-dublin-high-junior-andrew-song-for-inspire-collegiate-experience/. 

External links

• OLC Registration and Log-In Site