Archived Information

NASA, Office of Education

**Goal:** Engaging the public

**Summary:** Establish a more targeted presence on the web for kids,
students and educators through the NASA portal to convey the importance
to these audience of NASA science, research and opportunities they can
take advantage of in their daily activities. Combine "sit-back" visual
experience with "lean-forward" learning and involvement to [inspire,
inform, and involve]{.underline} the general public, kids, students and
educators.

-   *Inspire* -- Transport visitors into a multimedia environment (e.g.
    3D visualizations, multimedia desktop applications, interactive
    games and explorations, virtual tours, rich media astronaut profiles
    and interviews) where they can experience the emotion, vision and
    imagination of NASA.

-   *Inform* -- Recognize needs of each audience segment and ensure the
    information is accessible, easy to find, and up-to-date; encourage a
    journey of personal discovery and learning; interface with an eye to
    facilitate learning and spark a sense of imagination in a visitor's
    mind.

-   *Involve* -- Transition from inactive viewing to active
    participation through community links, targeted channels and an
    invitation to sign up for email, customizable imagery, online
    communities, chats, targeted emails, advisory councils and programs
    that feature and involve NASA researchers and scientists more
    visibly on the site.

The kids' component will be designed to be dynamic, fun, and have an
interactive approach to accessing information, emphasizing science,
mathematics and technology while providing a rich experience with a
game-like interface to additional amusement and information.

A customizable section will include a number of MyNASA profiles.
Profiles will include channel content and a look-and-feel appropriate to
the selected profile. Educators, parents, students, kids and the general
public may further personalize his or her homepage using these reference
profiles as helpful starting points to access information meeting their
needs and interests.

**Purpose:**

-   To create an environment that facilities delivery of NASA's dynamic
    and engaging scientific and mathematical materials to the attention
    of its worldwide audience.

-   To provide a dynamic, functional, and trouble free interface that
    enhances usability through clear navigation and intuitive
    information access.

-   To organize and structure information such that invites users to
    explore the site and that maintains their interest in science and
    mathematics, while presenting the NASA vision.

-   To create a visually appealing and exciting interface that invites
    users to explore the site and that maintains their interest in
    science, mathematics and engineering, while presenting the NASA
    vision.

-   To increase number of people making use of NASA resources, thereby
    increase cost effectiveness of NASA programmatic investments.

-   To provide viewing options for low bandwidth and mobile devices to
    connectivity, and to make information available to people with
    disabilities (508 Compliance).

# Accomplishments/Results:

Phase I of the portal was completed on February 1, 2003. This phase
provides a more engaging entry point and has been used extensively due
to the recent Columbia tragedy. In the first two weeks, it has serviced
requests from 4.5 Million distinct computers resulting in 410 million
hits on the site.

**Future Plans (next 12 months)**

Phase II has been initiated and is scheduled to be rolled out in May
2003 with further capabilities as identified above.