# Every Child a Knowledge Explorer *NASA 21^st^ Century Learning Mission*

#### PROLOGUE -- "NASA EXPLORERS SCHOOLS 

#### AWARDS CEREMONY 2010"

*The webcast of the 2010 NASA Explorers Academies Awards Ceremony is
reaching the point where the special achievement awards will be given.
NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe continues:*

**Sean:** "The greatest mission this Agency has ever accepted is helping
to open the minds and hearts of children to unimagined possibilities. We
are especially proud to honor three students today who truly exemplify
the Knowledge Explorer spirit and who make all the work we do at the
NASA Education Academies worth every moment.

> First, the NASA 21^st^ Century Knowledge Explorer Award of Achievement
> at the elementary school level goes to . . . Anita Chavez . . .

Anita, a fifth-grade migrant student, her mother and father, her teacher
and principal, and her NASA ambassador, all step up to the podium as
Anita receives the award from Sean. Anita steps to the microphone to
speak.

**Anita:** Thank you so much for showing me that learning can be fun. I
found out that science is more than lots of words in a book. It was so
great to talk to real scientists, like Laura. Maybe I can be like her
someday.

Laura, Anita's NASA Ambassador steps to the microphone.

**Laura:** I want to thank you Anita for reminding me how, no matter how
difficult things are, there is always a way to solve a problem or find
an answer to a tough question. Your wonderful Biosphere Project showed
how important your own farm experience was in understanding how plants,
animals, and people can all live together in a community. You're a real
inspiration for the rest of us.

Anita's after-school Academy teacher, Jorge, steps up to make a comment.

**Jorge:** I also want to say thanks to Laura and all the NASA Explorer
Academy leaders for showing me how I could support Anita in her
interests and studies, and for all the learning tools and training you
provided to our after-school learning center. It has given many
students, like Anita, a place to go to learn in their own ways and
times, even when it's been difficult to be successful in the regular
classroom. Thank you NASA.

Anita's mother and father move to the podium and her father, Jose
speaks.

**Jose:** Muchisimas gracias a NASA para esta gran opportunidad para
nuestra nina.

**Sean**: The next Learning Achievement Award at the middle school level
goes to . . . Beth Anderson . . .

Beth, an eighth-grader from a rural school, her parents, her teacher,
principal and NASA ambassador step to the podium to receive the award.

**Beth:** Thank you NASA for bringing a whole new universe to my door.
When I first met Astronaut Barbara at my school, I thought, "this can't
be real -- I'm talking to a real, live astronaut, and she thinks I can
become one too!" Then I started taking those Academy classes online,
along with my teacher, and even I started to believe I could become a
NASA scientist one day. And all those tools -- the learning maps, the
handheld sensors, the online simulations -- things that we wouldn't
dream of having in our little school, started showing up. I couldn't
wait for the next box, or the next NASA email to arrive.

Joan, Beth's mother, steps up to the microphone.

**Joan:** We're so grateful to NASA -- Beth has always asked questions,
so many questions, her whole life. And it's difficult being so far out
in the country to help her find the answers. Thank goodness for
computers and the tools her teachers provided Beth. There's no stopping
Beth now -- she loves learning and always will.

Nancy, Beth's principal, speaks next.

**Nancy:** We're a poor school that hardly had a decent Internet
connection until a few years ago. NASA has helped change that, and we
can now give all of our students opportunities that are just plain
amazing. Beth was able to go on "virtual field trips" to Antarctica, the
International Space Station and even to Mars. And she still emails
Astronaut Barbara for help on those really tricky questions she likes to
ask.

**Sean:** And for our final achievement award, the 21^st^ Century
Knowledge Explorer award at the high school level, the winner is . . .
Michael James.

Michael, a high school senior, his parents, teacher, principal and NASA
ambassador step forward.

**Michael:** I've always liked making things, even as a kid. When I was
10, I had an "invention lab" in my garage, with stuff I collected from
all over the neighborhood -- old CD players, telephones, broken pocket
lasers -- you name it. I wasn't doing so good at school though, and my
Dad thought I was headed for prison at one point -- I just couldn't
remember all the things for those tests and I felt stupid. So when my
teacher Larry showed me that I could build robotic and communication
gear as part of a NASA program, that was it. I took off like a rocket
and now I even understand what those equations mean and how to use them,
just like power tools, to build the things I dream up. Thanks Larry and
NASA for helping to turn me around.

Michael's teacher, Larry, steps up to the microphone.

**Larry:** Kids these days learn in so many different ways, speak so
many languages, come from so many backgrounds. No one way of teaching is
going to reach all my kids. Some kids learn just fine from reading about
something, some kids have to see and hear the "movie" version to get it.
Some kids like Michael, learn by trying to make real things work, then
figuring out how they do or they don't. NASA Academy's Personal Robot
Challenge was perfect for Michael -- in fact, without this program,
there's no telling what might have happened to him. And we all knew
there was real "genius" inside of Michael just waiting for the right
opportunity to let it out. Thanks NASA for giving Michael a chance to
show his stuff.

**Sean:** It's students like Anita, Beth and Michael that remind us that
every child in our country has some passion for learning, if only we can
find the right way to kindle that spark. And through our Academies, our
commitment to bringing every child into the 21^st^ Century Knowledge Age
is stronger than ever. NASA stands by our commitment to have "no child
left behind" and to help make every child a 21^st^ Century Knowledge
Explorer.

> Thank you Anita, Beth, Michael, and your teachers, principals, parents
> and all the NASA Academy staff for helping to make our dreams become
> more of a reality.

A few more comments by NASA and US Department of Education dignitaries
are made and the webcast comes to an end.