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For Community Partners
Business Roundtable, Tapping America's
Potential:
Program
of the Month June
2006
What is Lunar Challenge About?
It's About
the Possibility....
Of
highlighting your organization's commitment to education
Of motivating students to pursue knowledge in STEM topics
Of enhancing students career awareness and skills
Of partnering with schools to achieve new results
Play a
Role in Achieving National Education Goals
In response to our
nation's needs, major organizations such as the Business
Roundtable, NASA, and others are dedicating resources to
improving our schools and increasing the pipeline of workers
skilled in science, math, technology and engineering.
These efforts
need to start early and involve parents and caregivers,
whose opinions have been documented as the number one
influence on a student's success. An important first step is to get
families to see how fun learning science can be so they're
open to supporting further learning.
The Lunar
Challenge emphasis is on problem-solving and creative
thinking while learning about the design process. Families
become aware of the relevance of systems thinking and build
vital career skills through a team-based simulation.
The term
"Community partners" can mean businesses, parent organizations,
foundations, or individuals such as scientists, engineers,
clergy or a concerned neighbor.
As a Lunar Challenge partner, you can support family
learning with any or all of the following forms of
involvement:
Program Mentors
Services (expertise, contacts, volunteering,
communications)
Goods (Kits, food, disposable cameras, recyclables,
incentives)
Financial Support; Sponsorships
Everyday
people can serve as mentors for the families, sharing
knowledge based on career experiences. You simply
introduce yourself and place of employment, then talk
informally with selected Design Teams about how things work
on earth. It's up to the whole group to brainstorm how
components of systems might need to be adapted for the lunar
environment.
Click here
for tips and
feedback from experienced volunteers.
A
Partnership Where Everyone Benefits:
Teachers are
more willing to undertake family science education when
someone is at their side to answer confronting questions.
Mentors are
comfortable knowing that they can share their knowledge with
little or no preparation and the teacher will translate it at the
appropriate vocabulary level and in the right educational
context for the group.
Families like
the personal access to role models, who can answer
questions relating to the student's future career path.
For additional information on the model, look at the
For Schools
page or download our printable
summary (pdf).
To purchase
program kits, see How to Order.
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Mentors confer with
families