posted 06-27-2011 01:39 PM               

National Arts Education Initiative Commemorates NASA Space Shuttle Program Legacy

NASA, the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA), and USA TODAY Education are pleased to invite students and educators to participate in an innovative arts integration educational program that introduces students grades 4-12 (ages 9-17) to the impact of the NASA space shuttle program on our planet and people.

"Because It Flew" (BIF) is designed as an engaging and informative project that commemorates the 30-year history of the shuttle and the lasting value of scientific discoveries and technological advances that emerged because it flew.

The goal is to engage students, their families and communities in understanding the historical significance of 30 years of innovation, exploration, education and sacrifice that will define NASA's shuttle era.

In early May 2011, the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) introduced its newly released landmark report, Re-Investing in Arts Education: Winning America's Future Through Creative Schools. The report observes that arts integration within Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education contributes to increases in test scores, student/teacher morale, and attendance. "Because It Flew" supports educational reform efforts in arts integration advocated in this landmark report.

"Because It Flew" consists of two elements: optional educational activities and the NASA Space Shuttle Art Competition.

The educational activities include four modules that engage and introduce students to the history of NASA space shuttle missions. These activities incorporate NASA eClips, an award winning online K-12 STEM education program that provides short, relevant educational video segments that are designed to inform and inspire students to see real-world connections with STEM education. The activities are aligned with national standards and support efforts to integrate science, technology, engineering, and math with language arts. They can easily be adapted to both formal and informal educational settings.

Completion of these activities is not a requirement for submitting an art competition entry, but enhances student understanding.

In the second BIF component, students are invited to use the knowledge gained through this educational initiative to create original graphic artwork that symbolizes the impact of NASA space shuttle missions on the world and/or our future. They will then write a 250-word persuasive essay to explain their submission in the national competition.

An expert panel of artists will review submissions and the top six entries in two age brackets (9-13 and 14-17) will receive cash prizes, a private mentoring session with accomplished USA TODAY graphic artist, Robert Ahrens, and a certificate of accomplishment.

The submission deadline for the NASA Space Shuttle Art Competition is August 5, 2011. The free activities and competition guidelines for BIF are available online.

This initiative builds upon the successful Sight/Insight and No Boundaries design challenges developed by USA TODAY Education and NASA and the RealWorld-InWorld Engineering Design Challenge developed by NASA, NIA, USA TODAY Education and LearniT-TeachiT.

posted 09-01-2011 08:42 PM               

Winners Selected for Student Space Shuttle Art Competition

Middle and high school students from across the United States commemorated the Space Shuttle Program's 30-year legacy by creating unique artwork illustrating the shuttle's accomplishments in space and on Earth. Each piece of artwork submitted for the Because It Flew space shuttle art competition was accompanied by a 250-word essay describing how the shuttle ignited new scientific discoveries and technological advances. Many of the winning submissions show the space shuttle breaking through the confines of Earth and moving toward new frontiers, displaying far-off planets and galaxies in original ways.

Because it Flew was a collaboration between NASA's Teaching From Space Office, the National Institute for Aerospace and USA TODAY Education. The competition was supplemented by online educational activities that use space shuttle and other NASA resources to teach students about science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM.

"Teaching From Space was excited to offer students an opportunity to combine STEM and art," said Cindy McArthur, Teaching From Space project manager at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "Their artwork and essays commemorate the Space Shuttle Program's legacy in a unique and creative way."

A panel of expert judges evaluated student submissions. The top six entries in two age brackets (9 to 13 and 14 to 17) will receive prizes that include cash, a private tutoring session with USA Today graphic artist Robert Ahrens and a certificate of accomplishment. The winning artwork also will be showcased as banners on usatoday.com and usatodayeducation.com.

The first place winner for the middle school bracket was Rachel Eckert for her entry, "Limitless Innovation from Exploration." Second place in this category was awarded to Damaris Hunger for "Sea Rocket," and third place was awarded to Ryan Witt for "The Space Shuttle Discovery Led America to Greatness."

In the high school bracket, first place was awarded to Shiloh Schatzkamer for her entry, "Because It Flew." Second place was given to Lilian Peng for "Limitless," and third place was bestowed on Zedan Rong for her entry, "Daring to Dream."

Winning artwork and accompanying essays may be viewed on the Because It Flew website.