Student Challenges

NESSP’s student challenges brings our STEM education expertise to educators and students across the United States. Challenges center around a specific scientific topic or NASA mission and create opportunities for students to work together in teams to tackle STEM mission objectives.

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Educator Professional Development

Our goal is to strengthen STEM education across our by helping educators deliver authentic, hands-on experiences rooted in NASA science and engineering. We also support community-based science and engineering events in partnership with underserved and underrepresented communities.

Educator PD

STEM Showcase

NESSP’s STEM showcase programs bring hands-on STEM activities to students in schools, afterschool, or youth programs. Our outreach programs are provided by three of our partners, covering regions in Washington state and Oregon.

STEM Showcase

About Northwest Earth & Space Sciences

NESSP serves as a “virtual NASA center” for residents of the U.S.’s northwest — covering Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. NASA centers have traditionally acted as hubs for professional development for educators, access points for NASA educational materials, and on-site experiences for educators and students. In lieu of a NASA center in our region, NESSP offers several programs to deliver hands-on STEM experiences and NASA education to our communities.

NESSP Partners

ROADS on Icy Worlds

Our ROADS program (Rover Observation And Drone Survey) is a framework that lets students explore STEM concepts through hands-on activities. ROADS takes inspiration from real NASA projects and guides students on a space-related mission. Each year we update ROADS to tackle different science and engineering problems and to visit different solar system bodies. For 2021–2022 we’re going to icy worlds!

ROADS on Icy Worlds