NAI
2011 Annual Science Report
NASA Ames Research Center
Reporting | SEP 2010 – AUG 2011
EPO Activity: Summer Science Camp for High School Students
Project Progress
The Ames Team collaborated with NASA Ames (Brad Bebout, Oana Marcu), NASA Science Mission Directorate, Advanced Studies Laboratory and Lockheed Martin to host “ Science, Technology and Exploration (STEP): A Student’s Mission to Mars.”
This free, summer science camp for high school students provided two weeks of informal education designed to share and inspire the possibilities of space exploration. It used the field of astrobiology to give students and teachers exposure to a diverse range of space-related disciplines and access to current space research and discoveries.
STEP students use LEGOs to build prototype Mars Rovers.
Students and teachers participated in a series of science and engineering discovery lectures, hands-on exploration activities and local and virtual field trips. The program, designed around a “mission-building” concept to search for traces of life on Mars, emphasized collaboration and teamwork and offered direct interaction with space scientists and engineers.
STEP students proudly display their rover and rocket.
Ames Team EPO edited the program brochure, provided mentorship to the 20 high school students, created astrobiology packets for all students/teachers, provided lecturers from the Ames Team, organized a three-day field trip to Lassen Volcanic National Park and an all-day tour of Ames Research Center. In addition, EPO wrote and submitted a grant proposal for $9000, which was awarded by Lockheed Martin.