Cycle 11 Application
Ideal eligibility for middle and high school teachers:
- Teaching in a school or district with an established AAA partnership (Memorandum of Understanding) or the ability to enter an MOU upon selection.
- Entering at least their 4th year of full-time teaching during 2022-23.
- Have at least 1 year of experience teaching Physical Science, Earth & Space Science, Astronomy, Astrobiology, or Integrated Science.
- Expect to be teaching at least 1 class with electromagnetic spectrum content during the 2023-24 school year. [We understand that teaching assignments may not be definite this far in advance.]
- U.S. citizens or U.S. legal residents.
- Good general health, e.g. able to spend 2+ days at elevations between 9300ft and 14000ft.
- Submit application during the application window and be recommended for participation by a peer review panel. (NOTE: AAA selection is a competitive process.)
- Have eligibility vetted and approved for participation by sponsoring district and school, post-application.
AAA benefits for teacher participants:
- STEM immersion week will include at least 1 overnight experience, NASA and other world-class facility tours, and meetings with NASA subject matter experts (SMEs) (scientists, engineers, and other professionals).
- Travel expenses for required trainings and STEM immersion experience paid by the AAA program.
- Facilitators/escorts present during STEM immersion experience at a NASA facility on Mauna Kea, HI
- Materials and supplies needed to implement lessons, delivered to the school site by the AAA program.
- Personalized NASA jacket.
- Optional inclusion in a national public engagement and education group for ongoing communication opportunities and support.
Teacher commitments to NASA AAA:
- Professional development participation: Approximately 25 hours of self-paced online training, 2 hours per month of teleconferences & webinars, and an 8-hour curriculum training.
- Teacher participants will travel to a NASA facility during immersion week. [Please note: this means being on-location for that week, currently anticipated to be during Summer 2023.]
- Participate in pre- and post-immersion week trainings and meetings regarding corresponding scientific research programs.
- Implement a 2-week classroom curriculum unit covering electromagnetic spectrum and multiwavelength astronomy, aligned to appropriate level content and skills. Selected AAAs will be trained on curriculum components and implementation. We are required by NASA to show evidence of student learning, which will require student surveys on STEM Engagement. All student data will be anonymous and aggregated. Our external evaluator WestEd works with AAAs on the survey process.
- Participate actively in ongoing evaluation of the AAA program.
*** The middle & high school teacher application includes five questions requiring short (500-1500 character) answers and other questions requiring detailed responses. We strongly suggest downloading the questions (link to pdf document immediately below), writing the answers, and then cut-and-pasting the text into the form. [Click here to download application essay questions.]
Click here for the MIDDLE SCHOOL & HIGH SCHOOL application form. Note: This link will only be active during the application window: November 1, 2022 to November 27, 2022.