CAPE CANAVERAL, FL -- A unique international program pairing computer and software engineers with students is coming to the Space Coast for the first time. Right now there are millions of unfilled, good paying computer science jobs. So the goal is to encourage students to learn about the space program and how to write code and use their creativity to solve real STEM problems. "That’s one of the best things in our global PBL program," TMFGE chairman Jefferson Michaelis said. "You see them struggling a little bit but then our instructors explain it in a different way and then all of a sudden they go, oh I completely understand now. That’s one of the best things for me. Because we love teaching and sharing our love of STEM & Space education with kids all over the world."
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OSIRIS-REx is zooming towards the asteroid Bennu. It's on a mission to collect a sample of asteroid "dirt" and send it back to Earth. Scientists hope to uncover the building blocks of life in the solar system. The spacecraft launched last summer, so what's it up to these days? International STEM Education Collaboration! This unique collaborative Initiative in Brazil is the result of a partnership between the Kennedy Space Center International Academy, The Michaelis Foundation for Global Education and the Brazil Florida Chamber of Commerce. Students ages 9 to 14 are attending classes with instructors trained in the United States on the key concepts of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Four selected educational institutions in Brazil are hosting this STEM hands on practical and theoretical robotics and programming course. For the first time in the country of Brazil, the course is based on NASA's OSIRIS-Rex mission, which sent a spacecraft into space to monitor and collect samples from the surface of the asteroid BENNU. The "Asteroid Mission" program is being taught in the cities of Americana, Limeira, Ribeirao Preto and Sorocaba. In addition to general asteroid science, students are learning about NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission. The University of Arizona leads the mission. In September 2016, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft launched on its seven-year journey. This groundbreaking mission will grab a sample from a primitive carbonaceous asteroid and bring it back to Earth for analysis. That sample will be a scientific time capsule from 4.5 billion years ago! The program provides theoretical classes on introduction to robotics, science and technology. The Mission 1 is taught by Vinícius Fantuche, a mechanical engineer and mission specialist at "The Asteroid Mission", which will present the NASA mission in detail. The practical classes are being held at the FACENS University Lab, and also in collaboration with four selected partner schools under the coordination of Mr. José Carlos Filho, Program's country manager in Brazil. "We will divide the students into teams and each will have a (rover) robot. The mission will be to schedule it according to the activities defined in the day. We also have a real replica of the surface of an asteroid". The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education is launching 11 certified experiments to the International Space Station aboard CRS-11. Mr. & Mrs. Michaelis met the students for the SSEP Mission 10 Casper payload as they presented their projects at the Kennedy Space Center. PRESENTATIONS: Testing the Formation of a Polymer in Microgravity Camden, Arkansas Grade 9, Camden Fairview High School The Effects of Microgravity on Oxidation iLEAD Consortium, California Grade 11, Santa Clarita International Charter School Growth and Development of Fathead Minnows in Microgravity Middletown, Delaware Grade 6, Everett Meredith Middle School Bacterial Motility in Microgravity Universities System of Maryland, Maryland University of Maryland, College Park Tiny Wings of Glory Summit, New Jersey Grades 5 and 7, Kent School Role of Gravity in Flatworm Regeneration Houston, Texas Grade 10, Harmony Science Academy Houston High ABOUT The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program is a program of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) in the U.S. and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education internationally. It is enabled through a strategic partnership with DreamUp PBC and NanoRacks LLC, which are working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a National Laboratory. SSEP is the first pre- college STEM education program that is both a U.S. national initiative and implemented as an on-orbit commercial space venture. The bilingual illiteracy level is high in many countries, where countless children have little access to reading English materials. The Michaelis Foundation for Global Education seeks to counter this trend by providing Bilingual dictionaries to students and schools. Ana Kioto, 14, is thankful that she can now read an English Portuguese dictionary for the first time in her life, as opposed to before, when she just read notes her teacher gave her in class. “Things are different now,” says Ana, a sixth-grade student. “I read my own dictionary now, and it is helping me with the needed resources I need to better my bilingual skills.” Ana says that if it were not for the donated dictionary, she would not know how to read English Portuguese as well as she does today. “We have over 650 pupils at our school, and grades five through nine are all benefiting from these bilingual dictionaries,” says teacher Janet Venturini. “But it’s not just the pupils who are benefiting from the reading materials. Teachers use the same dictionaries as teaching aids and for research, which helps them prepare for classroom lessons.” Janet says that the dictionaries given to the school are a great blessing, adding that schools like hers don't get books like these from any other source. Realizing that higher institutions of learning were also lagging behind in bilingual materials, The Michaelis Foundaiton will extend the donation of its Dictionaries to colleges around the United States. Also, The Michaelis Foundation distributes various bilingual dictionaries to students in the State of Florida that are personally donated by Carla and Jefferson Michaelis. The collaboration between The Michaelis Foundation for Global education (TMFGE) and NASA engages students—current, future, and alumni—in the process of building their global connections with other bright students in more than 12 countries. The Simulation Exploration Experience (SEE) joins students, industry, professional associations, and faculty together for an annual modeling and simulation (M&S) challenge. SEE, led by NASA, champions collaborative collegiate-level modeling and simulation by providing a venue for students to work in highly dispersed inter-university teams to design, develop, test, and execute a simulated lunar mission. Participating teams gain valuable knowledge, skills, and increased employability by working closely with industry professionals, NASA, and faculty advisors. Students are highly sought after this global experience. Click here to see pictures and more information about the SEE 2017 Modeling Experience review , reward and recognition in Florida. The Asteroid Mission Initiative and The Michaelis Foundation for Global Education (TMFGE) announced a significant partnership today that will cultivate the future generation of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students while increasing opportunity for those young students by strengthening connections between educational institutions and careers.
“America’s economic prosperity depends on building a talented workforce of problem solvers, critical thinkers and collaborators, skills taught through STEM education,” said Carla Michaelis, TMFGE VP of education. “The Michaelis Foundation for Global Education is proud to partner with The Asteroid Mission Initiative to offer very young students, especially those currently under-represented, greater resources and more direct pathways to in-demand careers in the STEM field” commented Jefferson Michaelis, TMFGE President. Expanding student access to STEM education is an issue of paramount importance in an increasingly global economy. Job growth in STEM fields promises to be great. It is projected 2.4 million job openings in STEM nationwide through 2018. “The concern for STEM shortages tends to focus on the possibility of an insufficient supply of STEM workers, but the deeper problem is a broader scarcity of workers with basic STEM competencies across the entire economy. Demand for the core competencies is far greater than the 5 percent traditional STEM employment share suggests, and stretches across the entire U.S. job market, touching virtually every industry.” TMFGE is taking action by giving students in selected schools access to high-quality STEM programs that equip them with the knowledge and skills needed for future success. Gabe Gabrielle, an accomplished NASA engineer, will deliver a keynote address on the importance of early exposure to math and science education at the Science Days 2017.
Registration opened today for the STEM educational event and conference, which will take place March 12-18, 2017, in Brazil. The Science Days 2017 event will bring together more than 5,000 guests from education, government and business sectors who are committed to empowering students to thrive in an evolving world. “The Science Days STEM Event is a wonderful opportunity for students, teachers, administrators and young business leaders to showcase projects, network and discuss how we can best prepare our youth for the in-demand jobs of today and tomorrow,” said Jefferson Michaelis, TMFGE President. “Science Days 2017 is already shaping up to be the biggest and best, with a fantastic lineup of speakers and panels that will inspire, engage and empower attendees.” The Michaelis Foundation For Global Education, TMFGE is a nonprofit organization that provides a transformative learning experience for K-12 students and teachers across the U.S.and internationally through pathways in computer science, engineering and science. Gabe Gabrielle is an outspoken proponent of STEM education for all students. Our United States Division works to improve U.S. high school and postsecondary STEM education and support talented children in the State of Florida. And our Global Educational Outreach Division seeks to build strategic relationships and promote educational programs that will help advance our work.
In the United States, our primary focus is on ensuring that students graduate from high school prepared for college and have an opportunity to earn a postsecondary degree with labor-market value. Our approach is to play a catalytic role—to support the development of innovative solutions in STEM (Science - Technology - Engineering and Math) education that are unlikely to be generated by institutions working alone and that can trigger change on a broader scale. Because our resources alone are not enough to advance the causes we care about, we engage in educational projects to promote activities that advance our work, build strategic alliances with international schools and the public and private sectors, and foster greater public awareness of urgent STEM issues. Our approach emphasizes collaboration, innovation, risk-taking, and, most importantly, results. |
Michaelis in actionWe work with partner organizations worldwide to tackle critical challenges in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Archives
April 2024
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