National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov

PROMISING PRACTICES

for EQUAL OPPORTUNITY,

DIVERSITY,and INCLUSION

OFFICE OF DIVERSITY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY • JULY 2015
PROMISING PRACTICES

for EQUAL OPPORTUNITY,

DIVERSITY, and INCLUSION

JULY 2015

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity

NASA Headquarters

300 E Street SW

Washington, DC 20546

NP-2015-06-1920-HQ

iii

CONTENTS

Message from the Administrator v

Message from the Associate Administrator for Diversity 

and Equal Opportunity vi

Acknowledgements vii

Promising Practices at a Glance viii

CHAPTER 1 Demonstrating Leadership Commitment 1

Introduction 1

Institutional Leadership 2

Individual Leadership 4

CHAPTER 2 Attracting Top Talent 9

Introduction 9

Outreach 10

Recruitment 11

Work-Life Balance 14

CHAPTER 3 Cultivating Excellence, Teamwork, and Innovation 15

Introduction 15

Teamwork 16

Innovation 19

Excellence 25

CHAPTER 4 Serving the American People 31

Introduction 31

Program Access 32

Virtual Access 33

CHAPTER 5 Advancing the STEM Pipeline 35

Introduction 35

Colleges and Universities 36

K–12 Programs 39

STEM Educators and Students 44

v

MESSAGE

FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR

At NASA, we have always strived for the stars—

both literally and figuratively. This is no less 

true for our equal opportunity (EO) and diversity 

and inclusion (D&I) efforts than it is for our storied space program, awesome scientific endeavors, 

and world-class aeronautics research. At NASA, EO 

and D&I are fully reflected in the Agency’s Strategic 

Plan, which includes as a key objective our efforts to 

“attract and advance a highly skilled, competent, and 

diverse workforce, [and] cultivate an innovative work environment.” In keeping with 

the strategic importance of EO and D&I at NASA, this collection of promising practices demonstrates many of the efforts the Agency is taking to increase the diversity of 

our workforce at all levels, and to make our workplace second to none when it comes 

to inclusion and equality of opportunity for all employees. Throughout these pages, 

we share many of the strategies we are engaging in as an Agency, as well as across 

our Centers. 

Many of our most promising programs and initiatives have started with our 

Centers, and we are extremely proud of the work they are doing in this arena. Each 

of our Centers is integral to mission success because of the critical role each plays in 

achieving that success. The same is true for diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity, 

which are just as imperative to accomplishing the mission of our 

Agency. It is an awesome and unique mission, one that requires 

the dedication and support of people from all walks of life, bringing the many diverse perspectives, talents, and life experiences 

needed to solve the most complex of technical problems. 

It is my firm belief that we cannot lead the world in space 

flight, science, and aeronautics research if we cannot lead as an 

employer of choice for the best and the brightest. In short, we 

seek to be a leader in all that we do and to remain the best place 

to work in Government. With these goals in mind, NASA invites you to review some 

of our key promising practices for diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity.

Charles F. Bolden, Jr.

July 2015

It is my firm belief that we cannot lead 

the world in space flight, science, and 

aeronautics research if we cannot lead 

as an employer of choice for the best 

and the brightest.
vi MESSAGE

FROM THE ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR FOR 

DIVERSITY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

NASA shares in common with other Federal 

agencies, private employers, and indeed with 

the Nation as a whole, the twin goals of advancing 

equal opportunity (EO) and diversity and inclusion 

(D&I) among our workforce, as well as in our programs and activities involving members of the public. 

This publication showcases a number of innovative 

and creative EO and D&I efforts we are spearheading 

as an Agency, and across our Field Centers. It reflects 

NASA’s long-standing commitment to continually strive for engagement, excellence 

and innovation among our workforce and to reach out to members of the public with 

our story. 

Promising Practices helps further this commitment by sharing a host of ways that 

we as an Agency are advancing the principles and practices of EO and D&I, not in an 

abstract, notional sense, but in the day-to-day, practical world in which we all live and 

work. Whether it is helping to make our Web sites more accessible to individuals with 

vision disabilities, better ensuring that all of our employees have 

a meaningful opportunity to be heard by leadership, or partnering with our local educational and business communities to 

engage and inspire young people from all backgrounds, NASA 

endeavors to lead the way in advancing EO and D&I. 

There remains much more to be done. As a living document to which new practices will continually be added, this first 

edition of Promising Practices is intended to enhance cross-pollination among the NASA Centers. We believe that, in serving as an idea generator from Center to Center, the document 

should greatly assist NASA in its efforts to spark innovation and 

creativity in the EO and D&I arenas. We encourage each Center to utilize the practices highlighted here to help enhance its standing as a NASA leader in EO and D&I. 

Brenda R. Manuel

July 2015

There remains much more to be done. 

As a living document to which new 

practices will continually be added, this 

is a first edition of a Guide intended 

to enhance cross-pollination among 

the NASA Centers.
vii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This Guide was developed under the executive leadership of Brenda R. Manuel, 

Associate Administrator for Diversity and Equal Opportunity. The co-Project 

Directors were members of her staff—David Chambers, Senior Civil Rights Analyst, 

Program Planning and Evaluation Division, and Danette R. Mincey, Director, 

Complaints Management Division. The Technical Advisory Team was comprised of 

Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity (ODEO) senior staff, including Sharon 

Wagner, Director, Program Planning and Evaluation Division; Barbara Spotts, 

Agency D&I Manager; Crystal Moten, Agency EEO Training Manager; Omega 

Jones, Executive Officer; and Rebecca Kraus, Civil Rights Analyst. Members of the 

NASA EO and D&I community serving on the Agency-wide Task Team for the project included the following, organized under the sub-team on which each participated:

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY 

Keri Eliason, EO Director, Armstrong Flight Research Center 

Veronica Hill, EO Director, Goddard Space Flight Center

Ruth McNeil, EO Director, NASA Shared Services Center 

Janet Sellars, Former EO Director, Langley Research Center

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION 

Tu-Quynh (TQ) Bui, EEO Specialist, Johnson Space Center

Susan Cloud, D&I Manager, Marshall Space Flight Center 

Deborah Denton, D&I Manager, Johnson Space Center 

Shavondalyn Givens, Program Analyst, Goddard Space Flight Center

William Hawkins, EEO Specialist, Langley Research Center 

Jake Jacobs, D&I Manager, Stennis Space Center

Daniel Krieger, D&I Manager, Goddard Space Flight Center

JoAnn Larson, EO Director, Stennis Space Center 

Irene Salazar, EEO Specialist, Ames Research Center

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN NASA CONDUCTED PROGRAMS 

Robert Cosgrove, External Compliance Manager, ODEO 

Willie Love, Program Specialist, Marshall Space Flight Center (retired)

Aisha Moore, EEO Specialist, ODEO 
viii

PROMISING PRACTICES 

AT A GLANCE

Promising Practices

PageAgencyAmesArmstrongGlennGoddardHeadquartersJohnsonKennedyLangleyMarshallStennisNASA Shared Services Center 

CHAPTER 1 Demonstrating Leadership Commitment

Institutional Leadership

AGENCY LEVEL

Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Partnership (DISP) 2 l

Equal Opportunity (EO) and Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) 

Fully Reflected in the Agency Strategic Plan 2 l

Head of Diversity and EO is an Integral Member of 

Senior Leadership 2 l

NASA CENTERS

Center Diversity and Inclusion Councils 3 l l l

Individual Leadership 

AGENCY LEVEL

Associate Administrator’s Message to 

Second-Level Supervisors 4 l

Strengthening Management Outcomes (SMO) Initiative 4 l

NASA CENTERS

Inclusion and Innovation (I&I) Status Card 4 l

Interactive Theater Sessions 5 l l

Leadership Visibility as a Cornerstone of D&I Leadership 5 l l l

Mandatory Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender 

(LGBT) Training for Managers 6 l

Senior Leaders Sharing Their Individual 

Leadership Journeys 7 l l

Senior Managers Sharing D&I Experiences 7 l

Unified Leadership Message for EO and D&I 8 l

CHAPTER 2 Attracting Top Talent

Outreach

NASA CENTERS

Ames Community College Education and Development 

Program (ACCEDP) 10 l

Social Media and High Tech 10 l

Student Intern Onboarding 10 l l
Promising Practices ix

Promising Practices

PageAgencyAmesArmstrongGlennGoddardHeadquartersJohnsonKennedyLangleyMarshallStennisNASA Shared Services Center 

Recruitment 

AGENCY LEVEL

Operation Warfighter 11 l

NASA CENTERS

Achieving the Two Percent Individuals with Targeted 

Disabilities (IWTD) Goal 11 l

Attracting and Hiring IWTD 12 l l l

Debrief Checklists/Demographic Analyses of Selections 

for Non-Routine Assignments 13 l

NASA Glenn Recruitment Days at Minority Serving 

Colleges and Universities 13 l l

Project HIRED Partnership 13 l

Work-Life Balance

AGENCY LEVEL

Work-life Balance Programs 14 l

NASA CENTERS

Super-flex Friday Plan 14 l l l l

CHAPTER 3 Cultivating Excellence, Teamwork, and Innovation

Teamwork

AGENCY LEVEL

Section 508 Interest Group 16 l

NASA CENTERS

Ames Disability Access Team (ADAT) 16 l

Exceptional ERG/Advisory Group Utilization 16 l l l l

First-Line Supervisors Resource Group (FLSRG) 18 l

Future of Space Exploration Group (MSFC’s Space 2100) 18 l

Individuals with Disabilities Advisory Groups and ERGs 18 l l

Innovation

AGENCY LEVEL

D&I Training Design Methodology 19 l

D&I Assessment Survey 19 l

NASA Guidance on Gender Transition 20 l

New Framework for Model EEO Agency Plan 20 l
x Promising Practices 

Promising Practices

PageAgencyAmesArmstrongGlennGoddardHeadquartersJohnsonKennedyLangleyMarshallStennisNASA Shared Services Center 

AGENCY AND CENTERS

Communicating Employee Ideas 20 l l l

EO and D&I in Managerial Performance Plans 21 l

NASA CENTERS

Center-wide Speed Networking 21 l

D&I Accomplishments Tracking 22 l

Flash Mentor Matching Event 22 l

Glenn Creativity and Innovation (C&I) Initiative 22 l

Goddard Assistive Technology Program 23 l

Goddard Civility Collaborative 23 l

GRC Connections 23 l

i am goddard Campaign 23 l

“It Gets Better” Video 24 l

Organizational Culture and Climate Survey and Video 24 l

Section 508 On-Site Test Center 25 l

Excellence

AGENCY LEVEL

Anti-Harassment Program 25 l

Conflict Management Program (CMP) 25 l

Endeavor 25 l

Guidance on Developing Effective Resource Groups (ERGs) 26 l

ODEO E-Learning Institute 27 l

ODEO Information Resource Guide 27 l

Women@NASA Site 27 l l

AGENCY AND CENTERS

Broad Dissemination of Career Enhancing Opportunities 28 l l l l

NASA CENTERS

Diversity and EEO Action Plan (ARC Form 814) 28 l

Inclusion and Innovation (I&I) Discussion Groups 29 l

Johnson “TOP” Pilot 29 l

Reasonable Accommodations Centralized Fund 30 l l

Selection Panel Diversity 30 l l l l

STRETCH Program 30 l
Promising Practices xi

Promising Practices

PageAgencyAmesArmstrongGlennGoddardHeadquartersJohnsonKennedyLangleyMarshallStennisNASA Shared Services Center 

CHAPTER 4 Serving the American People

Program Access

AGENCY LEVEL

Efficiency in Provision of Interpretation and 

Translation Services 32 l

NASA CENTERS

Bilingual Staff 32 l l

Prioritization of Interpretation Services 32 l l l

Small Business Alliance Partnership 33 l l

Volunteers for Community OutReach Programs (V-CORPs) 33 l

Virtual Access

AGENCY LEVEL

Ciencia@NASA (Science@NASA) 33 l

The Space Place 33 l

CHAPTER 5 Advancing the STEM Pipeline

Colleges and Universities

AGENCY LEVEL

Minority University Research and Education Program 

Small Projects (MSP) 36 l

MissionSTEM Web Site 36 l

NASA Days at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) 37 l

NASA Student Ambassadors Virtual Community (NSAVC) 37 l

AGENCY AND CENTERS

Pre-Service Teacher Institute (PSTI) 37 l l l l l l l

NASA CENTERS

Ames Community College and Students with Disabilities 

Job Shadow Day 38 l

Goddard Earth Sciences Technology & Research (GESTAR) 38 l

K–12 Programs

AGENCY LEVEL

NASA and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America 

(BGCA) Partnership 39 l l
xii Promising Practices 

Promising Practices

PageAgencyAmesArmstrongGlennGoddardHeadquartersJohnsonKennedyLangleyMarshallStennisNASA Shared Services Center 

NASA CENTERS

Ames Exploration Encounter (AEE) 39 l

Astro Camp 40 l

For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and 

Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition 40 l

Glenn High School Internship Project 40 l

High School Aerospace Scholars 41 l

NASA HQ Adopt-a-School Program 41 l

NASA Summer Institute in Science, Technology, 

Engineering and Research (SISTER) 41 l

Saturday Academy 42 l

Space Academy Programs 42 l l l l l

Targeted Outreach to Minority Students to Increase 

STEM Participation and Engagement 42 l

Tech Trek 43 l

Tennessee School for the Blind and Alabama School for 

the Blind 43 l

Virginia Summer Residential Governor’s Schools 43 l

STEM Educators and Students

AGENCY LEVEL

NASA Distance Learning Network 44 l

New York City Research Initiative (NYCRI) at the Goddard 

Institute for Space Sciences (GISS) 45 l

Summer of Innovation 45 l

NASA CENTERS

Girl Scouts Partnership 46 l

Goddard Big Explosion and Strong Gravity (BESG) 46 l

Goddard NASA Internships, Fellowships and 

Scholarships Program 47 l

Goddard Partnership with Howard University 47 l
1

CHAPTER 1 

Demonstrating Leadership 

Commitment

INTRODUCTION

Demonstrated leadership commitment is a 

critical component in both advancing equal 

employment opportunity (EEO) and in going 

beyond compliance with EEO requirements to 

successfully weave diversity and inclusion (D&I) 

into the fabric of Agency culture. In the case of EEO, 

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 

(EEOC) Federal sector regulations require that the 

Agency’s head of EEO report directly to the head 

of the Agency. At NASA, this is the case, with the 

Associate Administrator for Diversity and Equal Opportunity reporting directly to the 

Administrator. As a regulatory requirement, it is a basic aspect of compliance with 

EEO. However, a top-down leadership commitment is also necessary in the context 

of D&I, where the research literature, case studies, and practical applications have 

shown that this is without doubt the “make or break” factor in the success of any 

D&I effort. The promising practices in this section illustrate the breadth and depth 

of this commitment among NASA’s senior leadership team.
2 Chapter 1 

Institutional Leadership

AGENCY LEVEL

Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Partnership (DISP). As part of its strategic approach 

to institutionalizing D&I, NASA created a senior leadership body to advise the 

Administrator in his role as Agency D&I Champion. This body, the DISP, is comprised of top leaders from both the Agency and Center levels and is thus inclusive 

of all backgrounds and disciplines represented among NASA’s leadership. Members 

are advised by a team of subject matter experts reflecting the arenas of D&I, EEO, 

human resources (HR), legal, and labor, among others. The DISP regularly strategizes 

on proactive approaches to address the Agency’s D&I needs, playing a critical role in 

developing and implementing the Agency’s D&I plans and initiatives. It is also instrumental in devising new and innovative solutions to D&I challenges. NASA Centers 

have followed the Agency’s lead in establishing their own Center-level D&I Councils 

made up of senior leaders and representative stakeholders.

Equal Opportunity (EO) and Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Fully Reflected in the Agency 

Strategic Plan. NASA has established a fully realized presence for D&I, as well as 

EEO, in the Agency’s Strategic Plan and Performance and Accountability reporting 

structure. Through a strong partnership between the Agency Offices of Diversity 

and Equal Opportunity and Human Capital Management, NASA has specific and 

measurable outcomes and performance goals 

for D&I. NASA also established an Agency 

D&I Strategic Partnership, inclusive of the 

full spectrum of senior leadership positions, 

to better ensure diverse inputs into D&I 

decision making and fully shared accountability, as well as to create sustainability through 

an institutionalized D&I structure. 

Head of Diversity and EO is an Integral Member of Senior Leadership. At the Agency 

level, in addition to the Associate Administrator (AA) for Office of Diversity and 

Equal Opportunity (ODEO) reporting directly to the Agency head, the AA also serves 

as a strategic member of the Agency’s senior leadership team. The AA functions within 

the Agency leadership hierarchy and is a member of high-level leadership forums, 

including the Senior Management Council, Senior Executive Committee, Executive 

Resource Board, Baseline Performance Review Team, as well as sits on a number of 

high-level leadership boards and panels. The AA, ODEO has a seat at the table for 

high-level Agency decisions and briefings and forums to bring issues affecting EEO 

and diversity to the attention of senior management officials.

Through a strong partnership between the Agency 

Offices of Diversity and Equal Opportunity and 

Human Capital Management, NASA has specific and 

measurable outcomes and performance goals for D&I.
Demonstrating Leadership Commitment 3

NASA CENTERS 

Center Diversity and Inclusion Councils. Following the Agency’s lead, each NASA 

Center and Headquarters has created a Diversity and Inclusion Council as a foundational element and focal point for D&I efforts. Among the most noteworthy of the 

Center councils is Johnson Space Center’s (Johnson) Inclusion and Innovation (I&I) 

Council. At Johnson, Center leadership explicitly tied the value of innovation and 

inclusion in the Center’s diversity council, blending the two concepts in the name 

of the body. The I&I Council’s mission is to develop and implement initiatives that 

encourage open mindedness, allowing for the inclusion of a variety of perspectives and 

people. The mission seeks to increase collaboration, enhance creativity, and lead to the 

development of innovative solutions to the Center’s challenges. In turn, these innovative solutions play a significant role in Johnson’s ability to achieve mission success, 

excellence, as well as the Center’s ability to compete to win both today and tomorrow. 

The Center Director is the chair with both permanent and rotational members 

coming from the director and deputy ranks. Council members serve as leaders, role 

models, and facilitators of open mindedness, inclusion, and innovation and provide 

guidance on how inclusion fosters creativity and innovation. In addition, they define, 

prioritize, and lead the Center’s I&I strategy and initiatives. 

Another noteworthy example: the Ames Research Center’s (Ames) Diversity and 

Equal Opportunity Board (DEOB). DEOB membership includes the Center Director, 

Directorate senior leadership, a Union representative, and the Center’s Advisory Group 

chairs. The focus of the meetings is driven by issues raised by senior leadership, advisory group membership, and Ames Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity (Ames 

ODEO) staff. DEOB meetings are held to permit the discussion of Center concerns 

and ensure recommendations for resolution. Meetings occur at a minimum of six times 

per year, with opportunities to schedule special DEOB’s as deemed necessary. As a 

result of the DEOB’s meetings, the Center has acquired a new accessible transportation 

bus, developed an Ames Disabled Access Team (ADAT) to review Center access concerns, and implemented a Center D&I lecture series in partnership with the Center’s 

Advisory Groups (AGs) and Chief Scientist to promote D&I awareness. 

At Armstrong Flight Research Center (Armstrong), the Center Director is 

the Diversity Champion and permanent chair of the Center’s Diversity and Equal 

Opportunity Council (DEOC). The council consists of a variety of supervisory and 

non-supervisory employees who rotate every two to three years. The Diversity and 

Inclusion Strategic Plan is not only the responsibility of the Equal Opportunity and 

Diversity Office, but it is the responsibility of every employee at the Center. In order 

to foster D&I ownership and accountability at Armstrong, each D&I plan strategy is championed by an Executive Leadership Team (SES) member. The strategy 

champion is partnered with a DEOC member supervisor and employee. The DEOC 

members work as liaisons between the responsible office and champion for each 

strategy. Accomplishments and status of each strategy are reported at the DEOC 

Quarterly meetings. 
4 Chapter 1 

Individual Leadership 

AGENCY LEVEL

Associate Administrator’s Message to Second-Level Supervisors. In November 2014, 

NASA Associate Administrator Robert Lightfoot recorded a video message to second-level supervisors. The video, available in the online System for Administration, 

Training, and Educational Resources for NASA (SATERN), provides training to 

supervisors on the Agency’s Performance Management Program. The training focuses 

on accountability, transparency, and fairness in ratings, and directs second-level supervisors to review all employee ratings submitted by first-level supervisors. Second-level 

review is necessary to ensure that no inconsistencies and disparities, which can be 

introduced, for example, by unconscious biases, exist in NASA performance reviews. 

In addition to emphasizing the need for meaningful second-level review, the Associate 

Administrator focused on the criticality of performance management, especially as it 

relates to supporting first-level supervisors and leading by example. 

Strengthening Management Outcomes (SMO) Initiative. The Agency Office of the 

Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) conducts an internal management initiative, titled 

“Strengthening Management Outcomes,” to create a forum for OCFO supervisors to 

discuss management practices that would enhance the OCFO culture and promote 

timely focus on issues of greatest impact to the organization. The SMO lead constructs a list of topics for the year focused on advancing the group’s capabilities and 

fine-tunes each session with leadership input. The monthly meetings last for 90 minutes and have a detailed agenda with speakers, as appropriate. The overall goal is to tie 

topics and discussions to the responsibilities of managers for both their staff and larger 

organizational goals and concerns. In terms of EEO and D&I, the SMO efforts have 

also increased transparency of supervisory practices and decisions, such that individuals across the organization feel they or their group are treated fairly and equitably. 

NASA CENTERS

Inclusion and Innovation (I&I) Status Card. At Johnson, the I&I Status Card was 

designed and implemented to not only enhance management accountability, but also 

to provide a means for reflection about how management actions and decisions can 

shape our organizations. The Status Card facilitates the monitoring and tracking of 

I&I progress at the directorate level. More specifically, each directorate-level organization is responsible for producing its Status Card report twice a year—at the midpoint 

and end of year. The online Status Card application, developed in-house, produces a 

succinct two- to three-page report, containing both qualitative and quantitative sections. The qualitative section allows directorate level organizations to highlight actions 

and behaviors that demonstrate their engagement in inclusion and innovation activities. It is divided into several subsections. The first subsection seeks to capture ways 
Demonstrating Leadership Commitment 5

the Directors have raised awareness of D&I across their workforce and includes a 

summary of participation in I&I related training. Other subsections ask for information about upcoming I&I related challenges, as well as innovation achievements. The 

quantitative section is a one page summary that includes race and gender breakdowns 

for the overall population, intern population, grades, reassignments, ratings, and promotions. Each Director completes the card using year-end data and then discusses 

it with the Center Director and shares best practices with other senior leaders in a 

group forum.

Interactive Theater Sessions. Various NASA Centers are using innovative techniques 

for training the workforce on D&I topics. At Marshall Space Flight Center (Marshall), 

a D&I training initiative incorporates scenarios designed to help sensitize leaders 

and supervisors to micro-inequities, as well as to help establish a common language 

around D&I. Approximately 200 employees have viewed the theatre sessions. These 

sessions are advancing a common understanding around improving teamwork by 

raising awareness around micro-inequities. Marshall also purchased videos depicting 

actors acting out examples of micro-inequities. The videos are used in training sessions 

with managers and employees to make them aware of subtle situations of bias, discrimination, and micro-inequities, and to help stimulate their thinking on and greater 

openness to D&I. Goddard Space Flight Center (Goddard) is another Center that has 

used interactive theater for EO/D&I training purposes on topics such as performance 

management and anti-harassment training for supervisors.

Leadership Visibility as a Cornerstone of D&I Leadership. Leadership visibility is a cornerstone in Agency and Center D&I. For example, the Langley Research Center 

(Langley) senior leadership team regularly visits with various offices and organizations through the Management by Walking Around Initiative. These informal visits 

At Marshall Space 

Flight Center 

(Marshall), a D&I 

training initiative 

incorporates 

scenarios designed 

to help sensitize 

leaders and 

supervisors to 

micro-inequities.
6 Chapter 1 

give employees an opportunity to interact with management in their own environments where they can provide a snapshot of how they contribute to the mission oneon-one with leadership. This provides a forum for members of the leadership team to 

express their appreciation directly to the staff for their individual and team contributions. This forum is highly valued by both staff and leadership teams because of its 

focus on how the diversity of the Center’s workforce enhances the ability to exceed 

the Agency’s expectations. 

Similarly, at Marshall, a large group of senior leaders fanned out in smaller groups 

of four to five to meet with all employees at the Center in relatively small groups to 

engage in dialogues about D&I. A chart presentation, carefully crafted by a group 

of Center senior leaders during an off-site meeting, formed the basis for the dialogues. These dialogues provided senior leaders an opportunity to explain the goals 

and rationale behind the Center’s emphasis on D&I, what micro-inequities are and 

what they look and sound like, and how D&I impacts high performance. The charts 

were benchmarked by Headquarters ODEO for the Agency’s D&I efforts. 

Another Center, the NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC), has established, under 

the direct and personal leadership commitment of its Center Director, a three-phased 

approach for building D&I into the foundation 

of the Center. NSSC initiated the first phase by 

encouraging all managers, supervisors, team leads, 

and team members to actively solicit input and 

opinions during meetings of individuals who were 

not speaking up. The second phase consisted of 

an offsite full-day training session presented by a 

dynamic D&I Facilitator familiar with the NASA 

D&I initiative, which addressed a variety of issues 

from impact of unconscious bias to the expansion 

of inclusive practices to the creation of a leadership support system. The third phase 

focuses on building accountability into the initiative through performance planning 

and monitoring.

Mandatory Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Training for Managers. 

Kennedy Space Center (Kennedy) made LGBT training mandatory for its Division 

Chiefs and Branch Chiefs. The course was specifically designed for managers who 

are not familiar with the LGBT community. The course emphasizes the imperative 

need to understand and use the appropriate vocabulary in order to show respect. The 

course, which is three hours in length, is described as “a learning safe zone designed 

to increase awareness and understanding of the LGBT community at KSC.” It is an 

education opportunity that promotes open questions and discussions.

...the NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC), 

has established, under the direct and personal 

leadership commitment of its Center Director, a 

three-phased approach for building D&I into the 

foundation of the Center.
Demonstrating Leadership Commitment 7

Senior Leaders Sharing Their Individual Leadership Journeys. A few NASA Centers 

have developed mechanisms for employees to learn more about senior leadership from 

the leaders themselves. For example, Langley has a Profiles in Leadership Series in 

which senior leaders present to employees on their individual leadership journeys. At 

Langley, senior leaders make such presentations several times a year to allow employees to get to know more about their senior leadership and provide them with an 

opportunity to interact with management on a more personal level. 

At Armstrong, its New Professional Group holds quarterly meetings that highlight a member of the Center’s Executive Leadership Team. At the meetings, the 

senior leader talks about current news, happenings, and issues at the Center. They also 

describe their current job, responsibilities, and the career path taken to get to their 

current position, and allow time for questions.

Senior Managers Sharing D&I Experiences. Marshall created a series of videos by senior 

managers sharing their views and personal experiences about D&I for release Center 

wide. They convey the senior management’s emphasis on the importance of the values 

of teamwork and excellence, and contribute to retaining a diverse workforce, and creating the right environment for all employees to flourish and achieve top performance.
8 Chapter 1 

Unified Leadership Message for EO and D&I. At Ames, there is an intentional focus 

on creating a unified message for EO and D&I to more effectively increase awareness 

and promote a collaborative, open, and innovative work environment. On a quarterly 

basis, each EO liaison embedded within the Center’s various divisions meets with division staff leadership to relay information about D&I and EO. The “unified messages” 

consist of updates on current and new laws, EO process and procedures, information 

on observance months, Advisory Group (AG) events, and other relevant topics. These 

sessions are also used to disseminate information about awards, leadership, mentorship, and career development opportunities. EO liaisons encourage Division Chiefs to 

identify individuals to encourage and nominate for Center opportunities. Best practices regarding D&I efforts are shared and used to provide learning circles and engage 

in dialogues. The unified message is also shared with AGs for communication with 

their membership. Â
9

CHAPTER 2

Attracting Top Talent

INTRODUCTION

Every employer seeks out top talent. One might 

say that “NASA is no exception”—except that 

it is. NASA has a mission as an employer that 

is unique. We seek to take humankind to the 

stars and in order to get there we not only want, 

but also need, top talent in narrow and highly 

competitive fields such as aerospace engineering 

and astrophysics. If we want to ensure our 

workforce reflects the diversity of the public we 

serve, we need individuals from a wide variety 

of backgrounds, skills, and abilities that can bring unique perspectives, and life 

experiences, to tackle highly complex challenges to achieve NASA’s mission. To 

provide some context from an EEO perspective, under EEOC regulations, Federal 

agencies are required to communicate the agency’s EEO policy and its employment 

needs to all sources of job candidates. The legal requirement to include all sources 

reflects a floor of basic regulatory compliance. But, we at NASA have long sought 

to go well beyond compliance, seeking true excellence through a broader focus 

on diversity and inclusion of all employees. The promising practices in this section 

spotlight the specific ways in which we have sought to find the best talent across the 

broad spectrum of American society to ensure the greatest diversity in our workforce.
10 Chapter 2

Outreach

NASA CENTERS

Ames Community College Education and Development Program (ACCEDP). ACCEDP 

is a career-building internship opportunity specifically designed by Ames for San 

Francisco Bay Area community college students. The ACCEDP initiative supports the 

NASA Education Framework by addressing the shortage of college students engaged 

in and pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) 

and fields related to NASA Mission Support. To this end, ACCEDP has partnerships with San Francisco Bay Area community colleges to recruit talented students to 

participate in internships with NASA researchers and mission support professionals. 

By offering students the opportunity to work with NASA scientists and engineers, 

ACCEDP expands career horizons for those students and allows them to acquire technical knowledge and critical skills.

Social Media and High Tech. NASA Centers are continuously increasing their presence in social media. For example, Johnson implemented the following activities to 

enhance diversity in recruitment: a) furthered Johnson’s social media presence by utilizing Twitter and Facebook to share both recruiting information and program/student experience information; b) mentored students in the creation of a new Johnson 

student recruitment video that featured both Education Interns and Pathway Interns; 

c) in an effort to increase student reach in Fall 2013, utilized Johnson’s External 

Relations’ Digital Learning Network to deliver two Webcast Info sessions (one for 

career services personnel and one for students); d) piloted (c) by using video technology for Pathways Intern Panel interviews (would normally be phone interviews); and 

e) participated in their first Skype career fair (with Illinois Institute of Technology). 

Student Intern Onboarding. Student interns have traditionally been an important 

source for identifying new talent at NASA. Ames and Goddard have designed and 

conducted training specifically intended to address the needs of students coming to 

the NASA workplace for the first time. However, there is a need to help students 

unfamiliar with the NASA workplace to better understand Agency core values and the policies and procedures 

that support them. For example, the NASA commitment 

to a harassment-free workplace is taught by these Centers 

to civil servants and contractors, as well as with student 

interns and their mentors, all of whom are required to take 

Prevention of Harassment training. Additionally, this training educates all concerned about appropriate behavior in the 

workplace, including how to interface appropriately in the 

mentor-mentee positions that civil servants and contractors 

naturally assume with student interns.

By offering students 

the opportunity to 

work with NASA 

scientists and 

engineers, ACCEDP 

expands career 

horizons for those 

students and allows 

them to acquire 

technical knowledge 

and critical skills. 
Attracting Top Talent 11

Recruitment 

AGENCY LEVEL

Operation Warfighter. In 2013, the Office of Strategic Infrastructure (OSI) began 

working with Operation Warfighter (OWF) and has had one veteran join the office 

in an internship capacity. The main objective of OWF is to place recovering Service 

members in supportive work settings that positively impact their recovery. The program represents an opportunity to facilitate recovering Service members’ development 

and employment readiness by providing assistance with résumé building, exploring employment interests, and developing job skills through internship opportunities. OSI used its past veteran to accomplish work that can no longer be supported 

because of full-time equivalent (FTE) cuts. OSI plans to continue this practice and is 

working with the program and the Office of Human Capital Management to bring 

another veteran to the office in the near future.

OSI has also had success in promoting diversity and inclusion within the contracting realm. Currently, OSI has long-standing contractual relationships with two 

women-owned small businesses. Each vendor (an editor for policy documents and 

an Ombudsman Consultant) contributes to the office’s overall functional management responsibilities by providing relevant expertise where it does not otherwise exist 

within the organization.

NASA CENTERS

Achieving the Two Percent Individuals with Targeted Disabilities (IWTD) Goal. Goddard 

holds the distinction of being the only NASA Center that has achieved the Governmentwide two percent goal for IWTD. At Goddard, the EEO and Human Capital Offices 

partnered to develop and implement a strategic plan to recruit and hire Individuals 

with Disability (IWD) and IWTD. This plan included two key elements. The first 

of these was Outreach, Recruitment and Hiring. Here, Goddard took a multifaceted approach to increasing the representation of IWD and IWTD. The Disability 

Program Manager and the Special Program Coordinator developed an outreach and 

recruitment plan that included: recruitment activities with significant numbers of 

qualified IWTD; utilization of social media to communicate recruitment efforts; consultation with State Division of Rehabilitation Services; and utilization of other state 

services for Schedule A referrals.

The second element was Retention via Education and Awareness. Here, the 

Goddard Equal Opportunity Programs Office (Goddard EOPO) also developed 

a strategy to improve retention of individuals with targeted disabilities by enhancing general education and awareness efforts at the Center to include: conducting 

“Disability Awareness Roadshows” across the Center to increase education and awareness among supervisors regarding reasonable accommodations; conducting Schedule 

A hiring presentations to increase supervisors’ understanding of that particular hiring 
12 Chapter 2

authority; partnering with the Center’s Selective Placement Coordinator to ensure 

that the onboarding process for new hires requesting accommodations went smoothly; 

conducting Reasonable Accommodations discussion at all New Supervisor orientations; and offering “Power and Privilege: Disability” training to all supervisors. 

Some additional specific examples of strategic action Goddard has taken that 

Centers may wish to consider include: 

Â Establishing collaborative relationships with community groups, universities, 

professional organizations, and publications to improve outreach and recruitment 

opportunities and communicate with them in advance of recruitment events to 

ensure that IWTD are aware of NASA’s visit and interest.

Â Utilizing the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Shared Register of 

Applicants With Disabilities.

Â Utilizing the Pathways program, internships, fellowships, and other pipelines to 

recruit IWTD, such as the NASA Motivating Undergraduates in Science and 

Technology (MUST) Scholarship Project, Achieving Competence in Engineering, 

Computing, and Space Science (Project ACCESS); and the Workforce 

Recruitment Program (WRP).

Â Placing at least two students through 

Project ACCESS, with an emphasis on 

placing students with targeted disabilities.

Â Following up with former and current interns with targeted disabilities 

to encourage their participation in the 

NASA Co-operative Education Program 

and provide information about NASA 

employment opportunities.

Â Ensuring outreach and recruitment materials, including those for the Co-operative 

Education Program and internship programs, are accessible by IWTD.

Â Developing an electronic mailing list of disability advocacy groups in 

the local area and send regular e-mail notices regarding job openings and 

Schedule A information. 

Attracting and Hiring IWTD. Ames and Goddard have each produced a Schedule A 

workshop for Executive Council members. The NASA Shared Services Center 

Diversity and EO and HR Offices partnered in developing a Schedule A PowerPoint 

presentation, which was jointly delivered to all NSSC supervisors. These kinds of 

efforts can help to demystify the process of utilizing Schedule A for managers and 

supervisors, helping to increase the likelihood that they will utilize Schedule A and 

other hiring flexibilities designed to bring more IWTD on board. 
Attracting Top Talent 13

Debrief Checklists/Demographic Analyses of Selections for Non-Routine Assignments.

The NSSC MD 715 Plan has a requirement for managers and supervisors to conduct meaningful debriefs for non-selected applicants for NSSC vacancies. A Debrief 

Checklist is utilized to ensure all debriefs are consistent, thorough, and provide 

applicants with resources to improve their competitive posture. Further, in its 

efforts to help ensure a level playing field for NSSC employees, NSSC is conducting demographic analyses of employees selected for non-routine assignments, acting 

assignments, special projects, rotational opportunities, training, and conference 

participation. The NSSC D&I Council will review the results and make recommendations to the Executive Director regarding the process currently in place.

NASA Glenn Recruitment Days at Minority Serving Colleges and Universities. Glenn 

Research Center (Glenn) began holding recruitment events at minority serving colleges and universities in response to the need to recruit minority engineering students 

into what was then the Cooperative Education (now Pathways) program. It was found 

that senior managers were more likely to endorse the hiring of minority candidates if 

they were more intimately involved in the recruitment process. Also, creating a community of alumni from a minority serving institution increases the opportunity for 

successful future recruitment and also increases retention of the employees. 

The first Glenn recruitment event was held at Tuskegee University and resulted 

in three hires into the Co-op Program. Each successive recruitment trip resulted in 

the hiring of additional students. Key elements of the NASA Recruitment Days: 1) 

Involvement of Senior Management – Senior leaders actually interviewed the students; 

participated in campus tours; and made presentations to students and faculty about 

the work of their organizations; 2) Involvement of faculty, i.e. Deans, Department 

Heads, was extremely important. Many recruitment activities only involve career services personnel; and 3) Involvement of alumni, specifically recent hires, to recruit and 

continue to market Glenn as an employer. The Kennedy Education Programs Office 

recognized this as a best practice and is now using it as an outreach tool for their intern 

positions. The Cleveland Clinic has also expressed interest in partnering with Glenn 

after hearing about it. 

Project HIRED Partnership. Ames has an 11 year partnership with Project HIRED, 

a community organization which provides employment services and training to 

disabled veterans and IWDs. Ames ODEO co-hosted the 2014 Wounded Warrior 

Workforce Conference with Project HIRED and focused on providing employment 

resources and opportunities for disabled Veterans and their spouses. Over 120 participants were in attendance, as well as 26 employers. Employers included Facebook, 

LinkedIn, IKEA, and NASA. The event included a career fair and workshops on how 

to apply for Federal jobs and what to expect after transitioning into civilian life. Ames 

hired three individuals with disabilities as a result of this event. This event was a 

Center-wide effort and included the collaboration of several offices, including HR, 

Legal, Education, and the Center Director. For the past several years, Ames ODEO 

has attended Project HIRED’s annual events as an exhibitor. 

It was found that 

senior managers 

were more likely 

to endorse the 

hiring of minority 

candidates if 

they were more 

intimately involved 

in the recruitment 

process.
14 Chapter 2

Work-Life Balance

AGENCY LEVEL

Work-life Balance Programs. NASA has some of the most widely recognized work-life 

balance programs anywhere in the Federal Government. Work-life balance at NASA 

encompasses maximally flexible work schedules, the Agency Office of Human Capital 

Management’s “Work from Anywhere” initiative, and multiple onsite lactation facilities, among others. These optimized flexibilities help to make NASA a very attractive Agency to many, especially those who are addressing issues such as child and 

elder care. Strategic balancing of work and life permeates NASA culture. Work-life is 

embedded at the policy level, included in a variety of Agency policy directives. It is 

also cultural norm at the Agency, with employees reporting great satisfaction regarding management’s support and attentiveness to work-life balance needs.

NASA CENTERS

Super-flex Friday Plan. A number of Centers are engaging in installation-wide worklife balance initiatives coupled with energy saving measures. For example, Johnson 

implemented Phase I of its Super-flex plan for every other Friday. Through this strategy, Johnson strives to embrace and enhance workplace flexibility as a positive balance 

for the workforce and to meet mandated energy and carbon footprint reductions and 

cost savings. Super-flex highlights Work from Anywhere/Telework and enables civil 

service employees to continue to use the Maxiflex schedule, allowing a variety of work 

schedule options. The Super-flex schedule will attract critical talent through worklife fit and schedule flexibilities. Other Centers are also experimenting with extreme 

flexibilities. Armstrong, Goddard, and Langley have all instituted the “quiet Friday” 

approach, under which employees are encouraged to telework and not to schedule meetings. Â
15

CHAPTER 3 

Cultivating Excellence, 

Teamwork, and Innovation

INTRODUCTION

Innovation requires a certain kind of environment 

to thrive. What are the key “ingredients” for such an 

environment? At NASA, they are embedded in our 

Core Values, particularly those of Teamwork and 

Excellence. For example, as stated in the NASA 

2014 Strategic Plan, our approach to teamwork is 

based on “a philosophy that each team member 

brings unique experience and important expertise 

to project issues. Recognition of and openness to 

that insight improves the likelihood of identifying 

and resolving challenges to safety and mission success. We are committed to 

creating an environment that fosters teamwork and processes that support equal 

opportunity, collaboration, continuous learning, and openness to innovation and new 

ideas.” Regarding our Core Value of Excellence, we seek “[t]o achieve the highest 

standards in engineering, research, operations, and management in support of 

mission success, NASA is committed to nurturing an organizational culture in which 

individuals make full use of their time, talent, and opportunities to pursue.” Together, 

(CONTINUED)
16 Chapter 3 

these Core Values demonstrate well the Agency’s commitment to a work culture, 

or environment, which embraces both opportunity and innovation. The promising 

practices in this section show how NASA continues to strive for individual and 

organizational excellence through its openness to innovation and its focus on the 

Core Values of Teamwork and Excellence. 

Teamwork

AGENCY LEVEL

Section 508 Interest Group. There is an informal group of visually impaired people 

across the Agency that holds telecons twice a month to discuss issues pertaining to 

accessibility. The topics include best practices for use of assistive technology, accessibility issues with Web sites or applications, and Agency policies regarding 508 regulations. The group has played an instrumental role in reviewing proposed Agency 

policies and procedures relating to electronic and information accessibility, helping to 

ensure that such policies and procedures are sound prior to their formal issuance. The 

group has also been an important voice for improving the Agency’s implementation 

of 508 requirements. The group supports NASA’s overall mission by helping to ensure 

that the Agency’s strategic implementation is reflective of diverse inputs that help to 

strengthen our policies and programs.

NASA CENTERS

Ames Disability Access Team (ADAT). The ADAT is a collaboration between Ames 

ODEO, Facilities, and the Diversity and Equal Opportunity Board (DEOB). The 

focus of this team is to identify Center buildings and site designs that are not accessible to individuals with disabilities. Ames ODEO, together with the Center architect 

and facilities, conduct an analysis to determine the inaccessibility, scope of work, and 

cost to ensure access for IWDs. Once analyzed, the group presents findings to the 

DEOB for approval, action, and funding for project completion. Thus far, ten out of 

sixteen projects have been completed in the ADAT process. The team ensures all areas 

of the Center are accessible to employees, visitors, and applicants for employment.

Exceptional ERG/Advisory Group Utilization. NASA makes excellent use of Employee 

Resource Groups (ERGs). ERGs are emphasized in the D&I literature and noted 

among D&I practitioners as a critical means of increasing employee engagement and 

thereby enhancing inclusion and excellence. At NASA, a majority of our Centers make 

The ADAT is a 

collaboration 

between Ames 

ODEO, Facilities, 

and the Diversity 

and Equal 

Opportunity Board 

(DEOB). The focus 

of this team is to 

identify Center 

buildings and site 

designs that are 

not accessible to 

individuals with 

disabilities. 
Cultivating Excellence, Teamwork, and Innovation 17

at least some use of ERGs. Several Centers have demonstrated the invaluable nature 

of ERG utilization exceptionally well. At Ames, Advisory Groups (AGs) are often 

utilized to assist the Center ODEO in conveying D&I and EO principles. The Ames 

ODEO actively encourages AGs to support, participate, and collaborate with each 

other on Center efforts. EO liaisons communicate regularly with advisory groups to 

share vacancy positions, leadership, mentorship, and career development opportunities, and encourage them to distribute information to their membership. In addition, 

Ames ODEO encourages their involvement in award nominations and recognition 

by identifying candidates or nominees. AGs also assist HR with outreach and recruitment activities by accompanying them to career fairs and conferences. Furthermore, 

Ames seeks to continually ensure that AG chairs are vital members of the Center 

DEOB by proactively identifying concerns and offering solutions to Center issues. 

At Glenn, there are eight AGs committed to assisting Center leadership and the 

Glenn Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity (Glenn ODEO) in recruiting, 

retaining, and developing a diverse and inclusive workforce; and educating and engaging the greater Cleveland community in Glenn’s mission. The groups host brown bag 

employee development workshops on topics such as preparing effective USAJOBs 

résumés and developing a professional network. They also hold mock interview 

sessions for student interns during the summer to prepare them for possible job 

opportunities with NASA. Members also act as tutors at schools in the Cleveland 

community and participate as judges at robotics competitions for elementary school 

students interested in STEM. 

Goddard has ten very active and engaged AGs, which Goddard formally refers 

to as “Advisory Committees.” These Advisory Committees have served as invaluable 

resources to: 1) work proactively with Goddard management on recruitment, hiring, 

advancement, and retention of employees, and 2) contribute to the development and 

implementation of corrective actions that remediate issues in these areas. To better 

institutionalize the Advisory Committees, Goddard has embedded them in policy 

directives, established charters with specific roles and responsibilities, provided access 

to senior leadership, including assigning a Center champion for each group, and given 

each group monetary resources to carry out their roles and responsibilities. 

At Johnson, ERGs have worked similarly to those at 

Goddard, serving as catalysts to: 1) strengthen recruitment and 

onboarding, 2) foster cross-Center collaboration, 3) engage the 

community in Johnson’s mission, and 4) enhance the personal 

and professional development of the membership by providing a platform for the members to practice and demonstrate 

leadership skills. Johnson has also established the Diversity 

Network (DN) meeting. The DN has provided a forum for 

ERGs to meet, collaborate, network, build relationships, and 

leverage inclusion initiatives.
18 Chapter 3 

First-Line Supervisors Resource Group (FLSRG). FLSRG is a Goddard cross-Directorate group of first-line supervisors who are influential in serving as strategic partners in communicating and collaborating with Center leadership. The FLSRG assists 

in fostering a diverse work environment that is conducive to the needs, professional 

development, understanding, and utilization of each supervisor’s abilities, skills, and 

knowledge to achieve maximum productivity and inclusion of the Goddard workforce. 

As part of this effort, the FSLRG is establishing active communication channels with 

each of the Center’s Advisory Committees (AC) to create opportunities for meaningful dialogue on issues relevant to supervisors. This group furthers the 

Agency’s core values of Teamwork and Excellence by providing tools 

and resources to first-line supervisors and ensuring that they are well 

prepared for their key role of influence within the Center culture. It 

also allows supervisors to be active participants with other ACs and 

be knowledgeable in understanding their specific challenges/issues 

in the workplace. Supervisors in the group are also better positioned 

to encourage employees to participate in ACs and overall in D&I 

efforts. This group was formed by current first-line supervisors who 

saw a need for this type of forum to exist Center-wide. 

Future of Space Exploration Group (MSFC’s Space 2100). The 

Marshall Center Director established a diverse, cross-generational 

and cross-organizational group to imagine and describe the future 

of space exploration and the role of Marshall through the year 2100. 

The initiative, MSFC’s Space 2100, has highlighted the efficacy 

of a diverse team like nothing else. In the fall of 2013, the Center 

Director challenged employees to describe the future space exploration over the next 40 to 100 years. Marshall’s employees are enjoying 

the opportunity to be included on visioning and strategic planning 

discussions, but a realization of why this is working is also taking hold. By combining 

ideas of diverse teams, the collective workforce potential is unlocked with enlightening and lasting impact. Marshall employees are indirectly teaching each other the 

collective power of diversity and appreciating differences.

Individuals with Disabilities Advisory Groups and ERGs. Among the most active 

employee groups at NASA are our individuals with disabilities employee groups. 

A prime example of a high-functioning and impactful individuals with disabilities 

(IWG) group is Johnson’s No Boundaries ERG, established in January 2015. No 

Boundaries started as the Differently Abled Advisory Group, first established in 2009 

to identify solutions for increasing the recruitment strategies, retention, and workplace 

satisfaction of employees with disabilities. No Boundaries seeks to promote a working 

environment that is safer, more accessible, and inclusive of IWD/IWTDs. Over the 

last five years, the group has provided accessibility recommendations on new buildings 

and emergency evacuation plans, offered feedback on accessibility of work-life balance 
Cultivating Excellence, Teamwork, and Innovation 19

initiatives, and hosted outreach activities to better educate the workforce on disability 

issues, among many other contributions. 

Another excellent example of a disabilities AG is the Glenn Disability Awareness 

Advisory Group (DAAG), which regularly provides input to Center management, 

especially as it relates to accessibility. A Center architect is an active member of the 

DAAG and provides status reports at meetings on the accessibility of new construction. Members also participate in events linking the Cleveland disabled community to 

Glenn, specifically children with disabilities. Their signature event is the annual Very 

Special Arts Festival, an event that hosts over 500 children with disabilities annually. 

Innovation

AGENCY LEVEL

D&I Training Design Methodology. ODEO is enhancing its D&I efforts with an 

Agency-wide training initiative, focusing on the kinds of complex D&I issues for 

which ODEO felt the workforce is now ready after several years under the Agency’s 

D&I Strategic Implementation Plan. The training methodology has been very intentionally focused on learning from NASA managers, supervisors, and employees themselves what their specific issues and challenges are as a group and individually. In order 

to develop a series of modules targeted to specific segments of our workforce, such 

as senior leadership, mid-level managers, and employees, ODEO conducted a series 

of focus groups designed to provide a better understanding of the broad challenges 

facing the Agency in the D&I context. More specifically, the focus groups assisted in 

ascertaining the specific content needs of each targeted group, including knowledge 

levels, practical concerns for each group, and relevant applications. An additional goal 

was to collect examples of D&I challenges, successes, and suggestions to address the 

challenges to make the course more relevant to each employee category and to build 

effective case studies that demonstrate the literature on D&I practices. An underlying 

goal of the focus groups was to highlight the Agency’s D&I work and build employees’ 

willingness to engage in the course once it is developed. ODEO believes this methodology is well suited to accommodate the training needs of a large workforce with 

multiple dimensions of diversity, such as NASA’s.

D&I Assessment Survey. Commencing in 2010 and conducted biannually, ODEO 

has implemented an Agency-wide D&I survey. The purpose of the survey is to assess 

current workforce perceptions about diversity and inclusion, such as employee views 

about the culture of diversity and inclusion at NASA, including how managers, supervisors, senior leaders, and Center leadership promote and practice NASA diversity and 

inclusion policies and personal perceptions of how inclusive our workforce is. ODEO 

used the initial survey to establish a diversity and inclusion snapshot, identify a baseline for our strengths and challenges, and design future activities for the continuing 

An underlying goal 

of the focus groups 

was to highlight the 

Agency’s D&I work 

and build employees’

willingness to 

engage in the course

once it is developed. 

ODEO believes 

this methodology 

is well suited to 

accommodate the 

training needs of a 

large workforce with 

multiple dimensions 

of diversity, such 

as NASA’s.
20 Chapter 3 

enhancement of D&I efforts at the Agency. The subsequent surveys are a measure of 

our successes and challenges. In keeping with the holistic approach embodied in the 

Agency’s D&I Framework, results of the survey are used to help shape the strategies 

and actions in the Agency D&I Strategic Implementation Plan, as well as Center 

reporting and Center D&I planning. 

NASA Guidance on Gender Transition. ODEO developed this guidance to be a resource 

tool to help NASA managers and supervisors to work effectively with an employee 

who is undergoing a gender transition. The guidance focuses on the practical considerations in this process rather than on legal rights and remedies. These considerations 

include making changes to Official Personnel Files and NASA ID badges, addressing 

issues of restroom and locker room access, and dealing with religious objections or 

other concerns raised by employees, to name a few. The guidance also encourages 

managers, supervisors, and employees to consult freely with their EO, Diversity, or 

HR offices to seek advice on a case-by-case basis.

New Framework for the Model EEO Agency Plan. In 2014, ODEO shifted to a new 

approach to streamline the development and implementation of its Model EEO 

Agency Plan, which agencies are required to submit annually to the U.S. Equal 

Employment Opportunity Commission. The purpose of the new approach is to focus 

attention on a limited number of high-priority challenges and define the overarching 

Agency challenges and strategies, but leave it to the Centers to define the tactical 

actions they will use to address the challenges. In other words, the Agency-level plan 

broadly states NASA’s EEO challenges and strategies to address them, and Centers 

decide how to best operationalize the strategies by developing Center-specific actions 

to meet the objectives. This is a departure from the past, when ODEO identified a 

number of detailed actions for all Centers to implement. This innovative approach 

provides greater flexibility for Centers to creatively and collaboratively address EEO 

challenges that are unique to their Center workforce.

AGENCY AND CENTERS

Communicating Employee Ideas. The Agency, along with several Centers, has instituted innovative mechanisms for employee ideas to be voiced and heard in real time 

by senior management. At the Agency level, NASA has its Center of Excellence for 

Collaborative Innovation (CoECI), run by the Human Exploration and Operations 

Mission Directorate in partnership with Johnson. CoECI helps NASA generate 

ideas and solve important problems. By issuing these challenges, the Agency readily 

increases its creative capacity and reach by tapping into diverse talent from around 

the world. As a pioneer and active user of open innovation methods and tools, the 

NASA CoECI provides organizations with a cost-effective and complementary means 

of extending its innovation boundaries.
Cultivating Excellence, Teamwork, and Innovation 21

At the Center level, Stennis Space Center (Stennis) developed the Employee 

Extreme Ideas team as a means for employees to submit/communicate ideas that they 

felt would: 1) assist in engaging Center employees, 2) assist in improving/sustaining 

the morale of Center employees, and 3) provide a way for employees to get their ideas 

to the Center Director. In a similar vein, the NSSC launched an “Innovations” Web 

site linked from the NSSC Home Page which encourages all NSSC team members to 

post their ideas, requests for solutions, and other suggestions. 

EO and D&I in Managerial Performance Plans. NASA 

incorporates EO and D&I as critical performance 

elements for senior executives as well as General 

Schedule (GS) managers and supervisors. Senior 

executives’ performance plans specify under the critical element of Leading People that executives will 

encourage a work environment open to the expression of diverse ideas and opinions, including dissenting views. Executives also strive to maintain a work 

environment free of discrimination and harassment. 

They are called upon to resolve conflicts in a constructive manner, if possible, by Alternative Dispute Resolution. They also are asked 

to demonstrate how they have advised employees of opportunities for mentoring, 

developmental programs, details, and special assignments. Finally, they are asked to 

demonstrate positive steps in incorporating demographic diversity into the organization. The Administrator has weighted the Leading People element at a quarter of the 

overall performance rating for direct reports. ODEO has prepared a guidance identifying activities that are consistent with high-level performance in this arena.

NASA CENTERS

Center-wide Speed Networking. Goddard offers a Center-wide speed networking program to help employees connect with each other personally so that when they meet 

during their work day, they see associates, colleagues, or friends rather than strangers. 

This is a quarterly event open to all civil servants and contractors, and it helps to create 

a sense of community on Center. In two minutes, assumptions and unknowns can 

be erased to achieve a level of familiarity that enables them to work collaboratively. 

Hosting this event exemplifies the Center’s commitment to build an inclusive, collaborative, and innovative work environment. The speed networking sessions contribute 

to mission success because key knowledge, tips, and best practices are shared among 

participants. The sessions also help to contribute to mission success because employees are able to more quickly solve problems by utilizing their networks and relationships built during the session. 

Senior executives’ performance plans specify 

under the critical element of Leading People that 

executives will encourage a work environment 

open to the expression of diverse ideas and 

opinions, including dissenting views. Executives 

also strive to maintain a work environment free 

of discrimination and harassment. 
22 Chapter 3 

D&I Accomplishments Tracking. Stennis’ D&I Plan contains a section titled 

“Accomplishments to Date.” All accomplishments are captured quarterly and incorporated/updated in the Plan. The purpose of this section is to continually keep 

employees informed and apprised of the progress the Center is making with its D&I 

initiatives. Employees are able to view the accomplishments at the Stennis Office of 

Diversity and Equal Opportunity (Stennis ODEO) Web page. In addition, Stennis 

has initiated an electronic Accomplishment Tracking System. All managers and supervisors have access to the system and report quarterly on the status/accomplishments 

of their organizations. Each accomplishment is tied to a Planned Activity and Strategy 

in Stennis’ D&I Plan that identifies managers and supervisors having that particular 

primary responsibility. Management now takes ownership of those actions. At the end 

of each quarter, all achievements are to be incorporated into Stennis’ D&I Plan. At 

the end of each fiscal year, an Accomplishment Report will be developed and disseminated to all employees. 

Flash Mentor Matching Event. The first ever Johnson Flash Mentor Matching Event 

was created to give protégés an opportunity to meet several prospective mentors 

prior to final match decisions. More recently, Johnson has included “M3 Forums,” 

centered on developing its mentors in the program. Johnson HR also revamped its newsletters 

and Web site and encouraged protégés to find 

another protégé in the program and create a 2×2 

protégé team for sharing best practices and lessons learned. 

Glenn Creativity and Innovation (C&I) Initiative.

The Glenn C&I Initiative is a grass-roots effort 

started by volunteers to foster an innovative culture and spark creativity and innovation at the 

Center. The group is diverse and is comprised of 

employees from various disciplines, job classifications/titles, work units, and levels across the 

Center. The C&I team focuses on eight elements 

to address the goals of the initiative. Some of the 

key elements on which it is based are: 1) Learning – identifying and bringing external 

training opportunities to the team and Center to enhance and inspire creative capabilities; 2) Collaboration Tools – evaluating and implementing ways to solve problems creatively, making use of interactive media; 3) Creative Spaces – creating unique 

spaces and exciting environments focused on enhancing creativity, collaboration, and 

innovation. This practice supports the core values of both excellence and teamwork. 

The goal of the C&I Initiative is, through the diverse ideas and abilities of team 

members and the facilitation of C&I methods, to foster a work environment that 

encourages innovative problem solving. 
Cultivating Excellence, Teamwork, and Innovation 23

Goddard Assistive Technology Program. The Goddard Assistive Technology Program 

was developed in partnership between Goddard’s Equal Opportunity Programs Office 

and the Information Technology Communications Directorate. This onsite facility 

was designed to facilitate employee access to assessment referrals and acquisition of 

electronic assistive technology (AT) for civil servants with disabilities, as needed. 

Benefits and features of this resource for all managers and employees include better 

assessments with qualified assessors; consolidated sourcing for AT equipment and 

devices with a “petting-zoo’’ to try out equipment before ordering; higher use of lowtech AT devices; more efficient use of resources; and a shorter time to receive equipment. This program helps to recruit and retain top talent at Goddard. 

Goddard Civility Collaborative. The Goddard Civility Collaborative is a monthly series 

of dialogues that create a safe space to explore the concept and practice of civility, 

respect, and engagement in employees’ everyday lives. Employees examine how they 

can constantly be more conscious and aware of their words and deeds for the betterment of themselves and for others. Basic tenets include using the power of civility to 

confront disrespectful behavior and create a safe space for human imagination and 

intellectual capital to flourish. The Goddard Civility Collaborative is a highly inclusive community with active members from across the Goddard campus. This program 

contributes to mission related innovation through its focus on building and sustaining leadership competencies and innovative thought practices. It also supports the 

Center’s efforts to retain top talent by providing a creative space to focus on leadership 

soft skills. In addition, it promotes the Agency’s core value of Excellence by building 

balanced leaders focused on Emotional Intelligence as well as technical capability. 

GRC Connections. Responding to the need for increased information sharing among 

employees at all levels, GRC Connections was developed by the Office of the Chief 

Technologist to provide an innovative venue to share information with employees 

about interesting activities happening at Glenn. The sessions, held once per month, 

are limited to 45 minutes because of tight deadlines and other scheduling demands. 

The sessions feature only one topic with a facilitated question and answer period. 

Previous sessions have covered diverse topics, including both technical and nontechnical subject matter. Examples of past topics include: The Employee Viewpoint 

Survey Results, Working at GRC – The Young Professionals Perspective, The Center’s 

Master Facilities Plan, and New Business and External Partnerships. Because GRC 

Connections is designed to foster a learning culture in the organization, this information sharing activity helps to instill a sense of ownership in the work and accomplishments of the Center and the Agency, which increases employee engagement, essential 

to teamwork and an innovative workforce.

i am goddard Campaign. The “i am goddard” campaign focuses on the importance 

of individual contributions to the Center and reminds all employee that everyone 

is included in making Goddard a high-performing and successful environment. 

All employees are encouraged to emulate and promote the values of the campaign, 

“Creating a positive work environment where our ideas span beyond the breadth 
24 Chapter 3 

of today’s view, our contributions are valued, and we continue to share our knowledge base with each other.” The campaign focuses on modeling the positive behaviors that Goddard wants to see in the workplace and thereby contributes to overall 

mission success. 

“It Gets Better” Video. Johnson Out and Allied ERG produced the “It Gets Better”

video to raise awareness regarding the need for maintaining discrimination and harassment free organizational environments. The NASA Administrator recognized the value 

of the video and several other Centers used the video during LGBT Month activities. 

Organizational Culture and Climate Survey and Video. Johnson facilitated a partnership with Cornell University for a collaborative research project to administer an 

Organizational Culture and Climate survey. A key goal of the unique research study 

was to identify best employment practices and to more fully understand how people 

(with and without disabilities) perceive disability related issues at Johnson. Research 

findings will enable Johnson to better serve different disability groups at Johnson and 

ensure that the policies will serve the needs of all employees. Johnson also partnered with Cornell to videotape six 

employees with disabilities (including an astronaut) in 

August 2013. The video features employees representing a 

variety of disabilities, as well as other elements of diversity 

such as race, gender, and work experiences, and highlights 

Johnson’s reasonable accommodation success stories to promote an environment that is more inclusive of all abilities. 

Section 508 On-Site Test Center. Marshall has established a 508 Test Center to support 

the needs of disabled employees and organizations to determine the most efficient 

and cost effective 508 tools available on the market. At this Test Center, users can 

get a demonstration and determine the compatibility of new and existing software or 

hardware prior to purchase. In the past, employees would request various off-the-shelf 

Research findings will enable Johnson to 

better serve different disability groups at 

Johnson and ensure that the policies will 

serve the needs of all employees. 
Cultivating Excellence, Teamwork, and Innovation 25

software packages that would not always be compatible with their current operating 

system. The Information Technology (IT) Office also can design specific tools for the 

users that will fit their needs. The Center 508 compliance coordinator believes that 

the Test Center will cut down on organizational cost, unnecessary IT purchases that 

are not compatible with the current operating systems, and provide users with the 

desired tools needed to perform their job functions efficiently. 

Excellence

AGENCY LEVEL

Anti-Harassment Program. The NASA Anti-Harassment Program institutionalized 

the practice of addressing harassment allegations as promptly and effectively as possible at the Agency level. Consistent with EEOC guidance, ODEO created the program 

to provide a separate avenue of redress for harassing conduct. Going well beyond 

EEOC recommendations, NASA has established an Agency definition for harassment that protects bases not currently covered under the law, for example, status as a 

parent. The Agency-wide program infrastructure includes anti-harassment coordinators at HQ and every Center, and a robust suite of face-to-face and online training, 

including video fictionalizations, as well as frequent guidance and technical assistance 

on new and emerging topics. At the Center level, promising practices include: the 

development of Center fact-finder cadres for anti-harassment cases, support of top 

management for the program expressed in written or video messages to the workforce, 

and “roadshows” to inform all Center organizations about the program. 

Conflict Management Program (CMP). The CMP is an innovative approach to meeting 

the needs of the 21st Century workplace. ODEO designed the CMP to help Agencywide organizations maintain open and effective lines of communication needed to 

help optimize mission success at all levels. It provides supervisors, managers, and 

employees with conflict management tools and techniques to explore the sources of 

conflict and to create an environment in which effective methods of communication 

and engagement are consistently utilized. This enables both individuals and organizations to respond more constructively to workplace conflict when it arises, as it inevitably does. CMP has been 

recognized by OPM as a highly innovative and proactive program, 

and OPM’s No FEAR Act Report to Congress cited the CMP as a 

Best Practice. 

Endeavor. ODEO publishes this online newsletter biannually. 

Endeavor is consciously designed to help sustain NASA work 

environments that encourage employees to perform at the highest 

level of excellence, individually and as teams, and to feel free to 

express differing ideas and perspectives. As such, Endeavor provides 
26 Chapter 3 

in-depth but broadly accessible material on EO and D&I 

efforts across the Agency and 

Government-wide. Endeavor

also provides an additional 

forum for proactively promoting the principles and practices of inclusion, fairness, and 

equity, and for raising awareness on the rights and responsibilities established under EO 

law. To this end, Endeavor

reports on EO and D&I news, 

trends and case developments 

relevant to NASA, spotlights 

Centers and individual NASA 

employees, and looks at Agency policy and programs impacting the NASA workforce 

and members of the public interfacing with the Agency, such as procedures for the 

provision of reasonable accommodation, language assistance services for persons who 

are limited English proficient, and much more. In the team spirit of NASA, Endeavor

seeks contributions from the NASA Center EO and Diversity Offices and Agency 

stakeholders, such as the Office of Human Capital Management and the Office of 

Education, to provide information on matters such as professional development initiatives and opportunities. To read editions of Endeavor, visit ODEO’s Policies and 

Publications Web page. 

Guidance on Developing Effective Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). NASA ODEO 

developed this guidance to provide the Agency with a better understanding of the 

value and utility of ERGs in furthering D&I efforts. The guidance also served to 

support those Centers that already have functioning ERGs and to encourage those 

that do not to be responsive to such groups, should they wish to form. The guidance, 

developed with input from the Agency Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Partnership 

and the Centers, emphasized the importance of ERGs in establishing and maintaining 

effective D&I initiatives. It expounded on the roles ERGs 

can play in D&I, for example, helping employees to engage 

their organizations in more structured and effective ways. 

ERG involvement in critical components of D&I efforts, 

such as recruitment and outreach strategies, and representation on D&I Councils, has helped to significantly enhance 

the organization’s overall D&I strategic approach. ERGs 

also have been shown to greatly increase employee engagement, which has helped lead to improved individual and 

organizational effectiveness. 

ERG involvement in critical components 

of D&I efforts, such as recruitment and 

outreach strategies, and representation on 

D&I Councils, has helped to significantly 

enhance the organization’s overall D&I 

strategic approach.
Cultivating Excellence, Teamwork, and Innovation 27

ODEO E-Learning Institute. ODEO has established a suite of online learning opportunities for the workforce. The ODEO E-Learning Institute provides the NASA family 

with real-time education and awareness opportunities on various aspects of EO, diversity, and inclusion at NASA. The E-Learning Institute offers a host of user-friendly 

educational materials and information that allows all NASA employees to add to their 

SATERN learning history with valuable credits in diversity and EO. 

Currently, the Institute is comprised of three e-learning modules, which enable 

employees to explore EO and conflict management topics anywhere, at any time. 

The Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) module explains the benefits of utilizing mediation to resolve EEO matters both at the informal and formal stages of the 

EEO process. Informational materials are provided in a variety of formats, including 

a video depiction of mediation in action. The Anti-Harassment course shows how 

the NASA policy and procedures can help to quickly address and resolve allegations 

of harassing conduct. Informational materials include videos depicting how a harassment allegation can arise and be resolved through the Agency anti-harassment process. 

The Conflict Management (CM) Refresher course is a follow-on to the CMP Basic 

classroom training. It reviews the core sources of workplace conflict and emotional 

responses to conflict. Informational materials include a video portrayal of various conflict management styles and communication skills in action. All ODEO E-Learning 

courses are accessible through SATERN.

ODEO Information Resource Guide. ODEO launched the Information Resource Guide, 

a companion to the ODEO eLearning Institute, in April 2014. The Information 

Resource Guide is an accessible Intranet site that serves as a one-stop-shopping tool 

for helping managers, supervisors, and employees to better understand and effectively utilize key EO processes, as well as to provide valuable information on a host 

of EO and D&I related efforts. Among the major topics currently featured are the 

Model EEO Agency Plan, the Agency’s D&I Strategic Implementation Plan, EEO 

complaints processing, and Anti-Harassment policy and procedures. The Guide is 

frequently updated to reflect the ever evolving state of diversity and EO, including 

new and emerging topics such as religious accommodation in the workplace, particularly when it involves garb and grooming; sexual orientation as a per se form of sex 

stereotyping; and gender identity as a form of gender discrimination. ODEO works in 

partnership with the Office of Human Capital Management, the Office of Education, 

and other key stakeholders to provide comprehensive information in these and many 

other important areas. 

Women@NASA Site. The Women@NASA Web site was created in response to an 

Executive Order, signed March 11, 2009, establishing the White House Council on 

Women and Girls. Developed by the NASA Open Government Team, the site encourages transparency, participation, and collaboration, even as it provides the perfect opportunity to celebrate women from across the Agency who contribute to NASA’s mission 

in many ways. Since its launch in April of 2012, NASA has added 66 life stories that 
28 Chapter 3 

have been shared in numerous 

classrooms across the United 

States and internationally. 

The site has attracted thousands of visitors and garnered 

dozens of speaker requests. 

Women@NASA continues 

to expand to include more 

inspirational videos sharing 

stories of women at all of 

NASA’s Centers. Following 

suit at the Center level, a 

Women@GRC Web site was developed by Glenn. This Web site allows the Center to 

highlight the careers of employees that were nominated, but not selected, for featuring 

on the Women@NASA site.

AGENCY AND CENTERS

Broad Dissemination of Career Enhancing Opportunities. At both the Agency level 

and at a number of NASA Centers, communications mechanisms such as e-newsletters and online tools are used to widely disseminate career enhancement and development opportunities to the Center workforce. These include high-visibility team 

assignments, details, and jobs. For example, at the Agency level, NASA has the Project 

Announcement Visibility Effort, or PAVE, a tool to advertise special project opportunities to HQ and Center employees. NSSC ensures that its vacancy announcements 

reach all of its approximately 125 employees. Johnson has JSC Today, a Center-wide 

e-newsletter, issued bi-monthly to communicate to the Johnson workforce the various

opportunities available to eligible civil servant employees. Goddard Opportunities

Bulletin Board System (GOBBS) is the Goddard version. All of these vehicles help to

promote the casting of a wide net for opportunities.

NASA CENTERS

Diversity and EEO Action Plan (ARC Form 814). At Ames, EO Specialists (EOS) serve 

as liaisons to each organization at the Center. Each EOS is assigned a specific organizational code in which communication and information sharing is key. EOS are 

required to collect ARC Form 814, “Diversity and EEO Action Plan,” for a six-month 

reporting period twice per year. Ames utilizes the ARC 814 form to initiate EO and 

D&I discussion with division leadership. The form collects specific data and information on each division. The form allows the supervisor a biannual opportunity to review 

demographic data, identify and annotate challenges to EO, develop remedial strategies and actions, make staffing projections and identify recruitment strategies, address 

succession planning, initiate feedback for the Employee Performance Communication 
Cultivating Excellence, Teamwork, and Innovation 29

System (EPCS) EO performance element, list external outreach activities, and review 

employee career development activities. 

Inclusion and Innovation (I&I) Discussion Groups. Following completion of the Johnson 

I&I education course, the participants wanted to continue the dialogue begun in the 

course. Accordingly, a pilot series of twelve I&I Discussion Groups targeted to all 

employees was kicked off at the end of August 2011. The small, facilitated groups 

met for one hour a month over six months to discuss a number of topics related to 

building a more inclusive and innovative environment at Johnson. Discussion topics 

included employee engagement and productivity; changing environments relative to 

technology/capability shifts; the value of diversity in problem solving; how stereotypes and biases negatively affect the workplace; and opportunities associated with a 

multi-generational workforce. 

Following completion of a pilot series of twelve I&I Discussion Groups targeted 

to all employees, the Johnson Director sponsored the development and implementation of the I&I Discussion Groups for leaders in FY 13. Comprised of 10–14 people, 

the groups provided a safe environment for supervisors and leads to discuss and 

explore the full spectrum of diversity topics from a leadership perspective. This learning format was used successfully at Goddard for many years, and the Johnson program is based on best practices gained from benchmarking with them. The discussion 

groups support the Center’s efforts to retain top talent by providing a creative space to 

focus on the leadership soft skills. In addition, they promote the Agency’s core value 

of Excellence by building balanced leaders. 

Johnson “TOP” Pilot. Johnson developed a one-year pilot program called the Transparent 

Opportunities Pilot (TOP). TOP seeks to advance D&I systemically, increasing 

transparency of career development opportunities, enhancing employee engagement, 

and facilitating the discovery of employee potential—for both the employee and his or 

her supervisor. Five organizations, representing 23 percent of the Center population, 

are participating in TOP, including both technical and mission support organizations 

of varying sizes. Each participating organization is identifying developmental opportunities. Examples include serving as Acting Deputy Branch Chief, leading robotics 

lab tours, job shadowing, and special team assignments. The opportunities are then 

marketed as broadening and stretch assignments that will potentially enhance leadership and/or technical skills. 

To measure the impact of the pilot, the participating organizations have committed to three things: 1) being more purposeful in identifying and communicating about 

opportunities, 2) tracking the number of opportunities shared with employees throughout the year, and 3) encouraging employees to participate in the pre-, mid-, and postsurveys that capture their perceptions of Johnson’s current career development processes. After the pilot is complete, Johnson will have a roadmap of best practices and 

lessons learned to share across the Center. Johnson believes TOP, in concert with 

several other D&I related initiatives, will lead to a stronger, more capable NASAJohnson team and that it advances the Agency Core Values of Excellence, Integrity, 

The discussion 

groups support the 

Center’s efforts to 

retain top talent by 

providing a creative 

space to focus on 

the leadership soft 

skills. In addition, 

they promote the 

Agency’s core value 

of Excellence by 

building balanced 

leaders.
30 Chapter 3 

and Teamwork. It advances excellence by promoting career development across the 

board; it promotes integrity by increasing transparency and ensuring opportunities are 

made known to a wider array of employees; and it promotes teamwork because it will 

strengthen skills across a more diverse talent base.

Reasonable Accommodations Centralized Fund. To date, two Centers, Goddard and 

Armstrong, have centralized funds that provide accommodations to their employees 

with disabilities. Accommodations provided include sign language interpreters, reading services for the blind, and electronic and information technology adaptive devices 

not covered under the Agency’s CAP agreement. The Goddard centralized fund has 

played an instrumental role helping to ensure that individuals with disabilities who 

are employed by or apply for a job at Goddard have effective accommodations. In 

addition, the centralized fund has helped to facilitate the recruitment and hiring of 

individuals with disabilities at Goddard. Goddard has consistently led the Agency in 

representation of individuals with targeted disabilities. 

Selection Panel Diversity. Several NASA Centers make extensive use of diverse panels 

in their selection processes, including selecting employees at all levels of the Agency, 

providing training and developmental opportunities, and recognizing outstanding 

performance. NASA Centers, including HQ, encourage both traditional diversity, 

such as race and gender, as well as more nuanced forms of diversity, such as disciplinary, to make sure its panels reflect a broad spectrum of views and perspectives. 

For example, a number of NASA Centers and facilities, such as Ames, Goddard, and 

NSSC, provide supervisory toolkits posted online offering specific guidance on diverse 

selection panels. 

STRETCH Program. Education and retraining are areas that Langley has focused on 

to expand diversity and enhance employee 

engagement. The Strategies to REach and 

TeaCH (STRETCH) program was created 

to provide skill enhancement workshops in 

a quick learning environment targeted at the 

GS-7 through GS-11 grade levels. The pilot 

program is starting with two workshops on 

“managing up” and “interviewing skills.” The 

purpose of this initiative is to provide employees with the skills needed to prepare for new 

opportunities, as well as to be more successful 

in their current positions. Â
31

CHAPTER 4 

Serving the American People

INTRODUCTION

As NASA’s Strategic Plan states, the Agency’s 

mission is “to drive advances in science, 

technology, aeronautics and space exploration 

to enhance knowledge, education, innovation, 

economic vitality and stewardship of Earth.” NASA 

strives to achieve its mission in many ways, and 

our work touches the lives of people everywhere. 

Our interface with the public is often individual in 

nature, as when people tour our Centers or visit 

our many Web sites. It is our responsibility under 

the equal opportunity laws to ensure that all people have access to NASA facilities 

and assets. In this arena, too, NASA seeks to go beyond mere compliance to ensure 

that our environments, whether physical or virtual, are welcoming, enjoyable, and 

educational for all. 
32 Chapter 4 

Program Access

AGENCY LEVEL

Efficiency in Provision of Interpretation and Translation Services. While NASA 

Centers are encouraged to be flexible and nimble in how requests are made by limited 

English proficient (LEP) individuals for language services, it is critical that requests 

are documented by the Centers so that the effectiveness of NASA’s LEP program can 

be adequately monitored. To that end, NASA has developed and deployed a Service 

Request Form, NASA Form 1681 or NF 1681, directly to the contracted interpreter/

translations services provider. Use of these services is administered by the Office of 

International and Interagency Relations. The requestor provides the date of service, the 

language requiring translation or interpretation, a description of the activity requiring 

the services, and the number of hours required to perform the service. Completing 

NF 1681 enables NASA and the LEP Coordinators at each Center to more effectively 

monitor the number and frequency of requests and the languages requested, as well as 

the programs or services requiring LEP Services. 

NASA CENTERS

Bilingual Staff. In its efforts to inform its program participants of its role and unique 

heritage in spaceflight, Kennedy has developed matrices that are detailed in its 

Language Assistance Plan. These matrices categorize a number of specific participant 

contact situations and how language services are to be deployed in those situations. 

Programs listed in the matrices that may require language assistance for LEP individuals include: Speakers Bureaus, business outreach, Kennedy Web sites, student 

and faculty summer programs, distance learning, the Educator Resource Center, and 

events at the Kennedy Visitor Complex. In most situations, Kennedy will respond on 

a case-by-case basis and rely on bilingual Center staff and bilingual literature in order 

to provide language services to LEP individuals.

Langley also maintains a list of volunteers who are Center employees that can 

provide emergency translation and interpretation services. Langley has identified a 

number of languages that the volunteers speak fluently, and they agreed to volunteer 

their services for emergency situations. These volunteers tie directly into Langley D&I 

initiatives, as they may assist in those events. 

Prioritization of Interpretation Services. Some Centers, such as Ames, Kennedy, and 

Johnson, have developed a prioritization scheme that provides support and guidance 

to organizations in determining interpretation related priorities. Priority consideration for interpretation services is given to LEP persons who are: part of official delegations seeking assistance in badging or other official business onsite; patrons of the 

Visitors Center; participants in Center tours; participants or potential participants in 

Center-sponsored educational events; and telephone contacts.
Serving the American People 33

Small Business Alliance Partnership. Agency wide, Centers partner with the Agency 

Small Business Office to make NASA’s supplier diversity program one of the most 

successful in Government. Armstrong continues to lead the Agency in small business 

awarded contracts. Marshall also engages in a robust partnership with small businesses, helping to provide all categories of small businesses an opportunity to participate in both prime contracts and subcontracts. A focal point for this partnership is the 

annual Marshall Small Business Alliance Meeting. Each year, Marshall emphasizes its 

business case for D&I to approximately 500 small business leaders. The presentation 

helps to encourage business and community emphasis on D&I, which includes the 

importance of recruiting and retaining the best talent, and how D&I advances those 

objectives.

Volunteers for Community OutReach Programs (V-CORPs). In 2013, Johnson launched 

V-CORPs, which provides an integrated approach to recruiting Johnson volunteers

and managing events. It enables all Johnson team members to be ambassadors communicating Johnson messages. V-CORPs allows for Center-wide registration of volunteers; enables users to search for mentors, speakers, and subject matter experts

based on specific criteria; sorts/stores large amounts of information on volunteers and

events; and develops custom reports to track events and participation.

Virtual Access

AGENCY LEVEL

Ciencia@NASA (Science@NASA). NASA’s 

Spanish language Web site, Ciencia@NASA, is 

maintained by the Science Mission Directorate 

at NASA Headquarters. Spanish was selected 

based on the demand expressed by visitors to the NASA Web site and the size of the 

potential national population that would benefit. The stories are aimed at an adult 

science-attentive audience and are written at the high school senior/first year college 

level. The stories focus on some of the more exciting aspects of NASA science and are 

available in both written and audio versions. 

The Space Place. NASA Web site maintains a Web site, called the Space Place, for 

students in elementary through middle school (8 to 13 years old) and their teachers. 

This Web site is a project of NASA’s New Millennium Program and joint collaboration of NASA Office of Education, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of 

Technology, and the International Technology Education Association. Information 

from NASA is integrated into games, projects, animations, and articles that explain 

concepts in space and Earth science. For example, The Space Place offers hands-on 

projects that demonstrate science using everyday materials. It also offers animations that explain a variety of phenomena, such as how satellites send images and 
34 Chapter 4 

information back to Earth. The site also contains “Space Place Live!,” an animated 

talk show featuring interviews with real NASA scientists. Teachers can use projects 

and articles as homework and reading assignments. They can also have students play 

interactive games or view animations, read the accompanying texts, and then summarize what they have learned.

The Space Place also has a Spanish-language counterpart site with similar content 

as the English Web site. It is accessed at a Spanish language link on the English page 

(users click on “Vea en Español”), which provides 

the entire Web site in Spanish. As part of its commitment to explaining the results of NASA programs to the entire American public, the Spanish 

version of Space Place is dedicated to reaching 

Spanish speaking students who may not be fully 

proficient in English, yet have a desire to learn 

about NASA and how they can apply NASA program information into their schoolwork and classroom activities. Â

As part of its commitment to explaining the results 

of NASA programs to the entire American public, 

the Spanish version of Space Place is dedicated to 

reaching Spanish speaking students who may not 

be fully proficient in English...
35

CHAPTER 5 

Advancing the STEM Pipeline

INTRODUCTION

NASA is committed to advancing the Nation’s 

STEM education pipeline by engaging students, 

teachers, and faculty in NASA’s missions and 

unique assets. NASA works in collaboration with 

other Federal agencies to improve the quality 

of STEM education in the United States and to 

develop and deliver activities and programs 

that support the growth of NASA’s mission and 

serve to educate the public about STEM. The 

activities highlighted in this section seek to go 

beyond compliance with applicable equal opportunity laws to advance diversity 

and inclusion in the academic program environments that form the STEM pipeline 

to NASA’s doors. All of these steps are necessary to advance a pipeline that can 

support our next generation missions. They also ensure that the knowledge gained 

by NASA in furtherance of its mission serves to benefit all humankind.
36 Chapter 5 

Colleges and Universities

AGENCY LEVEL

Minority University Research and Education Program Small Projects (MSP). The MSP 

is an umbrella term for minority STEM education initiatives that are part of NASA’s 

Minority University Research and Education Program (MUREP) portfolio. Under the 

aegis of the NASA Office of Education and managed for the Agency by Armstrong, 

MUREP’s goal is to fund innovative STEM projects that address NASA’s MUREP 

priorities, with an emphasis on identifying gaps or areas where funding of innovative 

projects will enhance the Higher Education portfolio and strengthen its ability to 

meet Agency objectives. Recurring funding of projects may be limited to projects 

meeting critical Agency needs and exemplary performance assessment. Historically, 

MSP supports a variety of activities for students, teachers, faculty, and researchers 

from underrepresented and underserved communities in NASA-related STEM fields. 

MissionSTEM Web Site. The MissionSTEM Web site is designed to assist NASA grant 

recipients with their civil rights compliance efforts. The Agency strives to provide a 

broad scope to its technical assistance in this arena. As with NASA’s civil rights technical assistance publications, MissionSTEM focuses on university and college STEM 

education programs; however, the Web site is also inclusive of the great variety of 

NASA recipients outside of the higher education context. This includes the many 

museums, planetariums, science centers, and space camps nationwide that benefit 

from NASA dollars. In turn, these recipients provide year-round cultural and informal 

educational opportunities for their communities and for visitors traveling nationally 

and internationally. 

MissionSTEM seeks to look at the wide range of civil rights related issues that 

play a part in the daily operations of these very different kinds of entities. This 

includes the efforts of some of NASA’s recipients to ensure meaningful access to their 

programs and services for LEP persons and improved access for individuals with disabilities. MissionSTEM also examines issues of race and gender in STEM education, 

for example, efforts to recruit and retain women and minority students in STEM, 

but here too NASA has expanded the STEM emphasis to include issues relating to 

non-traditionally aged students in NASA 

funded educational programs. An important 

feature of MissionSTEM is its video series and 

virtual sessions, covering topics of interest and 

concern for NASA’s grantee institutions, their 

beneficiaries, and other stakeholders. These 

series and sessions will seek to address common 

challenges through the active involvement of 

NASA leadership and subject matter experts, as 

well as leadership and experts from respective 

MissionSTEM also examines issues of race and gender 

in STEM education, for example, efforts to recruit and 

retain women and minority students in STEM, but here 

too NASA has expanded the STEM emphasis to include 

issues relating to non-traditionally aged students in 

NASA funded educational programs. 
Advancing the STEM Pipeline 37

communities. MissionSTEM also continues to highlight and emphasize the many 

promising practices of its grant recipients and stakeholder organizations for creating 

greater diversity and inclusion in STEM. 

NASA Days at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). The purpose of this initiative is to 

build relationships with MSIs and provide NASA managers insight into the institutions’ technologies and students’ capabilities. 

This is a three-day event that consists of: 1) 

multiple offerings of student workshops on 

NASA’s student intern recruiting programs, 

including its One-Stop-Shopping Initiative 

and the Pathways Program; 2) NASA managers and faculty networking opportunities, 

campus and lab tours, and NASA managers 

sharing what NASA does with students; and 

3) onsite interviews of students. 

NASA Student Ambassadors Virtual Community (NSAVC). NSAVC is an online community network designed to foster greater interaction and mentorship among outstanding interns of NASA’s higher education projects. The goal is to provide participants with access to tools needed to serve as a NASA Student Ambassador, increase 

retention throughout the NASA educational pipeline into the STEM workforce, and 

provide strategic communication opportunities. Each year, NASA selects a group of 

interns and fellows from NASA Centers across the country and Headquarters to serve 

as student ambassadors. Interns who are selected for the NASA Student Ambassador 

Program engage their fellow undergraduate and graduate students in NASA STEM, as 

well as participate in research and immersion opportunities. These students collaborate with and inspire their peers, make professional connections, and represent NASA 

to the public.

AGENCY AND CENTERS

Pre-Service Teacher Institute (PSTI). NASA developed the Pre-Service Teacher 

Institute to provide in-depth experiences for preservice teachers. At the PSTI, preservice teachers spend two weeks in an intensive experience where they are exposed to 

problem-based learning, mathematics, science, and technology enrichment activities. 

Preservice teachers are able to interface with NASA personnel and tour NASA facilities. The educators learn to incorporate NASA’s cutting-edge research into lesson plans 

for elementary and middle school students. The institute culminates with the preservice teachers developing and teaching problem-based lessons to children from local 

schools. PSTIs are held at Ames, Johnson, Kennedy, Langley, Marshall, and Stennis. 

For example, the NASA/Jackson State University PSTI is a two-week residential institute held on the Jackson State campus in Jackson, Mississippi, with a oneday visit and workshops at Stennis. The PSTI is for college students who attend a 
38 Chapter 5 

minority-serving university and are preparing to teach middle school. Students from 

Jackson State University, Miles College-Fairfield, the University of Arkansas at Pine 

Bluff, Hinds Community College, and Boise State University have attended the PSTI 

at Stennis. 

NASA CENTERS

Ames Community College and Students with Disabilities Job Shadow Day. The Ames 

Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity partners annually with the Center’s 

Education Office, HR, advisory groups, and its employees serving as mentors to 

conduct Job Shadow Days. Job Shadow Days are designed to provide an internal 

look at what Ames has to offer community college students, veterans, and individuals with disabilities pursuing careers in STEM. Many students and individuals have 

participated in this annual event which consists of providing information on applying through USA Jobs, navigating OSSI, and concludes with shadowing of an Ames 

employee. To date, over 40 Ames employees have participated as mentors, including 

IT Specialists, HR Specialists, Research Scientists, Physicists, and Business Specialists.

Goddard Earth Sciences Technology & Research (GESTAR). Goddard awarded 

Universities Space Research Association and partners (Morgan State University, I.M. 

Systems Group, Johns Hopkins University, Ball Aerospace & Technologies, and the 

Institute for Global Environmental Strategies) a five-year Cooperative Agreement 

for GESTAR in May 2011. NASA GESTAR conducts research collaboratively, 

mainly within Goddard’s Earth Sciences Division, but also with the Solar Systems 

Exploration Division, Office of Education, and Office of Public Affairs. Scientists 

and staff at GESTAR, in collaboration with NASA and other investigators, conceive and develop new, space-based missions; provide mission requirements; conduct 
Advancing the STEM Pipeline 39

research that explains the behavior of Earth and other planetary systems; and create 

engagement media that tell NASA’s story of exploration and discovery on Earth and 

beyond. GESTAR aims to supply students with end-to-end support from their first 

day as graduate students to the day they receive their doctoral degrees. Morgan State 

University plays a major part in the research as part of a four-member team selected 

for the GESTAR Studies and Investigations.

K-12 Programs

AGENCY LEVEL

NASA and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America 

(BGCA) Partnership. This partnership helps 

NASA to diversify the STEM workforce of the 

future. The Boys and Girls Clubs have complementary mission statements while both organizations see education as a pathway to success. BGCA had an organizational priority and 

interest in broadening club program offerings 

to include hands-on, engaging STEM activities. Since NASA seeks to cultivate a diverse and 

highly-qualified STEM workforce for NASA and 

the Nation, it was determined that the Agency 

should pursue execution of an umbrella Space 

Act Agreement with BGCA. Marshall has management of the Agreement for NASA and BGCA to strategically plan how to integrate NASA STEM content into BGCA programming. To date, Marshall’s Academic 

Affairs’ staff has developed a strategic plan and “NASA Club” model; compiled activity implementation time and cost estimates for approximately 300 hours of instruction; participated in telecoms regarding strategic planning, namely utilizing a trainthe-trainer approach; and assisted in outlining NASA’s responsibilities concerning the 

NASA Club model.

NASA CENTERS

Ames Exploration Encounter (AEE). AEE is an educational program designed to inspire 

positive attitudes about STEM for all students in the 4th through 6th grades. Located 

in a renovated 6′ × 6′ supersonic wind tunnel building at NASA Ames, the AEE 

makes math and science curriculum come alive. Students experience science in action 

and come to realize its connection to their lives in the four hands-on stations. AEE 

embraces NASA’s guiding principles, which value diversity in its mission to increase 
40 Chapter 5 

underrepresented minority students who aspire future careers as astronauts, aerospace 

engineers, and research scientists. Teaching is done by a diverse group of docents who 

volunteer their expertise in the areas of 

science, technology, engineering, and 

math. The effective use of intergenerational teachers has had a positive effect on 

the students served.

Astro Camp. The Astro Camp Stennisbased program is built around a series 

of weeklong summer camps, one-day 

Saturday camps, and special events for 

children ages 7–15 that inspire future 

astronauts and engineers to learn about 

space and STEM. Astro Camp presents 

math and science principles through fun 

hands-on activities, teaching teams of 

campers to work together to complete 

missions. Astro Camp sessions inform 

children about manned space flight, 

NASA’s Space Launch System, the Space 

Shuttle, and Stennis propulsion testing. 

For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics 

Competition. NASA Stennis continues to support the FIRST Robotics Competition, 

a national robotics contest immersing high school students in the exciting world 

of engineering. Stennis supports four teams: Team Fusion, Gulfport, Mississippi; 

Choctaw Central High School, Choctaw, Mississippi; Picayune Memorial High 

School, Picayune, Mississippi; and Northshore High School, Northshore, Louisiana. 

Engineers team up with businesses and universities to give area students a hands-on 

look at the engineering profession. 

Glenn High School Internship Project. The Glenn High School project engages students 

in an intensive internship experience in a research and development environment 

while under the guidance of a Glenn scientist, engineer, technician, or administrative 

professional who serves as the student’s mentor. The project expands the student’s 

understanding of possible career choices available at NASA. The schedule includes 

oral presentations and a variety of enrichment activities. The Glenn High School 

Internship educational project provides opportunities for paid summer internships 

lasting eight weeks. The internships are available to current 10th- and 11th-grade 

students attending high school within a 50-mile radius of Glenn.
Advancing the STEM Pipeline 41

High School Aerospace Scholars. High School Aerospace Scholars, or 

HAS, is an interactive online learning experience highlighted by a weeklong internship. Selected students are encouraged to study mathematics, science, engineering, and computer science by interacting with engineers at 

NASA Johnson. The project includes preliminary interactive Web-based 

activities, distance learning, and a residential experience during the summer at 

Johnson. From across the state of Texas, students are selected to participate by their 

state legislator through a competitive process. Selected students are Texas residents 

and U.S. citizens currently in their junior year of high school (rising seniors) with an 

interest and aptitude for mathematics, science, engineering, or computer science.

NASA HQ Adopt-a-School Program. This program was developed in line with the HQ 

Diversity and Inclusion Plan and is designed to generate student interest in and exposure to STEM through fun learning experiences. Now in its first year, the program 

involves two classrooms of 4th and 5th graders at a local elementary school in an 

underserved community. Using the NASA’s Beginning 

Engineering, Science and Technology (BEST) modules, a 

Program Scientist from the Office of Education, with 

assistance from a group of HQ employee volunteers, 

leads two activities over a six-week period: building a 

satellite and a rover. Students learn the principles of 

engineering and then apply the practical application in 

their design, building, and testing exercises. Students 

are grouped in teams for both activities, which culminate in launching their satellites on fishing wire with 

balloon rockets, and testing their rovers on a ramp to measure the distance traveled. 

This is a hands-on approach to getting kids excited about science and math.The effect 

on the students is positive. Their curiosity, eagerness, and interest in learning science 

and math are obvious early in the activities. The goal is to get students interested in 

exploring the possibilities of a career in the STEM field. 

NASA Summer Institute in Science, Technology, Engineering 

and Research (SISTER). The SISTER program, sponsored 

by Goddard’s Equal Opportunity Programs Office and the 

Education Programs Office, is designed to increase awareness of and provide an opportunity for female middle 

school students to be exposed to and explore nontraditional career fields with women engineers, mathematicians, scientists, technicians, and researchers at Goddard. 

The objectives of the program include introducing young 

women to a technical working environment; acquainting 

students with Goddard missions; providing an awareness of educational programs and internships available 

This is a hands-on approach to getting kids 

excited about science and math. The effect 

on the students is positive. Their curiosity, 

eagerness, and interest in learning science and 

math are obvious early in the activities.
42 Chapter 5 

during high school, undergraduate, and graduate study; and providing observations 

and experiences with real hands-on projects researched and developed by women at 

Goddard. The SISTER program components include such activities as mentoring, 

multicultural experiences, facilities tours of facilities, hands-on science experiments, 

written communication experiences, and interpersonal and human relations skills 

building. Approximately 60 percent of the participants are members of racial/ethnic 

minority groups.

Saturday Academy. Saturday Academy (SA) is sponsored by the NASA Education 

STEM Engagement Office under the Kennedy Educate to Innovate (KETI) program. 

SA reaches underrepresented students in grades four through nine with an age range 

of 9–14 years. The workshops are conducted by educators of the Educator Resource 

Center and Kennedy KETI volunteers. This opportunity is held in the morning on 

the third Saturday of each month (excluding December) at the Center for Space 

Education building located at Kennedy’s Visitor’s Center. This experience encourages 

studies in STEM and enables students to participate in a variety of hands-on activities 

utilizing aerospace hardware that compliments the teaching of rocketry, spaceflight, 

and exploration. Currently, SA services three units from the Boys & Girls Clubs of 

Central Florida (Mims, Florida; Volusia and Flagler Counties, Florida; and, Cocoa, 

Florida); Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Florida; and the Orlando Walt Disney 

World & Universal Boys & Girls Clubs.

Space Academy Programs. NASA has Space Academy programs at five Centers 

(Ames, Armstrong, Glenn, Langley, and Marshall). These are intensive educational 

programs designed for graduate and undergraduate students from across the country. 

The programs emphasize group activities, teamwork, research, leadership, and creativity. The curricula balance direct contact with science and engineering research and development with 

an awareness of the managerial, political, financial, 

social, and human issues faced by aerospace professionals. Included are seminars, informal discussions, 

evening lectures, supervised research, visits to other 

NASA Centers and facilities, group projects, tours, 

posters/presentations, and assessment. Additionally, 

most weekends are filled with group activities, team 

building, and off-site trips. One free weekend is typically scheduled. The Ames Space Academy specifically aims at addressing the interdisciplinary nature of research at NASA, as well as how current space policy and politics 

play a role in NASA decision making. 

Targeted Outreach to Minority Students to Increase STEM Participation and 

Engagement. Goddard’s Applied Engineering and Technology Directorate, Equal 

Opportunities Program Office, and the Office of Education partner annually for a 

joint African American History Month program and National Engineers Week. The 

The curricula balance direct contact with science 

and engineering research and development 

with an awareness of the managerial, political, 

financial, social, and human issues faced by 

aerospace professionals. 
Advancing the STEM Pipeline 43

program features engineers visiting local underserved and underrepresented elementary and middle schools, delivering NASA unique hands-on activities, and making 

presentations about careers at NASA. Ninety-three percent of Goddard personnel visiting the schools are minority individuals. Over 900 students have participated, 90 

percent of whom are minority.

Tech Trek. Armstrong has supported a Tech Trek 

tour for the last five years. The Tech Trek program is sponsored by the California branch of the 

American Association of University Women. The 

program is designed to develop interest and excitement about math and science and self-confidence 

among middle school girls. Armstrong supports the 

program with a Tech Trek tour annually during the 

summer. Approximately 25 seventh-grade girls from 

several area middle schools participate. The girls are 

representative of the diversity of the local area. The 

girls and their adult chaperones are treated to a variety of activities during their trip, including tours of 

Armstrong’s main aircraft hangar and several specialized research and support aircraft. The girls also learn 

how a high-altitude pressure suit works and have the chance to test their piloting 

skills in one of the flight simulators. In addition to the aircraft and facilities tours, the 

students participate in a career panel of female employees from the Center. They also 

interact with female engineers and college students who are interning at Armstrong. 

These engineers and students encourage the participants to pursue their science and 

mathematics interests through high school and college.

Tennessee School for the Blind and Alabama School for the Blind. In this program, 

participating students spend the day working with Marshall engineers and scientists, 

participating in hands on activities related to the current Center projects. The students learn about jet propulsion and other STEM related activities. The engineers 

allow for full student interaction with visual and touch demonstrations. The purpose 

of the program is to encourage students with disabilities to consider the STEM fields 

for future careers and to consider NASA as a potential employer. The Indian Creek 

High School and the Indiana School for the Visually Impaired also visited Marshall 

for a similar program in 2014. The Indian Creek High School is for sighted students 

who interact and work with the students from the Indiana School for the Visually 

Impaired, focusing on STEM related projects at the Center.

Virginia Summer Residential Governor’s Schools. The goal of this partnership between 

NASA Langley and the Virginia Summer Residential Governor’s Schools is to provide opportunities for gifted high school students from public and private schools 

from across the Commonwealth of Virginia to explore professional and university 
44 Chapter 5 

environments through academic enrichment and mentoring programs tailored to their aspirations, level of 

ability, and depth of experience. Twelve 10th and 11th 

grade students are selected each year to participate in this 

month-long residential program, and each is assigned to 

a research mentor at Langley, while an additional six students are selected for the Virginia Institute of Marine 

Science, in Gloucester. Such opportunities formerly 

would have been reserved for college-age students or to 

a limited number of high school students who were fortunate enough to live near such facilities. The goal of the 

Governor’s Schools is to provide students with opportunities for artistic and intellectual, as well as social and 

emotional, growth. In the company of dedicated, highly skilled professionals representing a variety of careers, students are encouraged to establish their own goals and 

move toward the fulfillment of those goals.

STEM Educators and Students

AGENCY LEVEL

NASA Distance Learning Network. NASA’s Digital Learning Network (DLN) provides free, interactive video- and Web-conferencing events for educators interested in 

enhancing their STEM classes by connecting directly with NASA education specialists 

and subject matter experts. This initiative, maintained under the aegis of the NASA 

Office of Education, strives to reach under-served populations while providing access 

to appropriately equipped members of the general education community. NASA’s 

DLN maintains a catalog of events hosted by NASA Centers that provide a variety of interactive learning 

experiences and programs, 

such as “Daring Women 

in Space Exploration” and 

“Moon Math.” Recently, 

the DLN launched the 

STEM-in-Sports Online 

Series through which students can learn the science 

behind scoring a touchdown, throwing a slam 

dunk, or hitting a home 

run. Part of a new distance-learning program 

The goal of the Governor’s Schools is to 

provide students with opportunities for 

artistic and intellectual, as well as social 

and emotional, growth. In the company 

of dedicated, highly skilled professionals 

representing a variety of careers, students are 

encouraged to establish their own goals and 

move toward the fulfillment of those goals.
Advancing the STEM Pipeline 45

called NASA STEM Mania, the program gives educators and students from kindergarten through 12th grade the opportunity to interact virtually with NASA subject 

matter experts on a variety of topics such as the science of race car driving, using 

STEM to succeed in football, and using basketball as an engineering example in the 

classroom. Sample highlights from the various sessions include: sports clips from the 

International Space Station; a special astronaut appearance; and how to become an 

Orion virtual crew member. 

New York City Research Initiative (NYCRI) at the Goddard Institute for Space Sciences 

(GISS). The New York City Research Initiative is a summer research internship program for high school students, undergraduate students, and high school teachers. 

Student and teacher interns are partnered with NASA scientists or university professors in the New York metropolitan area, for 6–8 weeks, to conduct research on 

climate change, remote sensing, autonomous robotics, aerospace engineering, astrophysics, and other STEM projects. The NYCRI encourages men and women of color 

to apply and works hard to create a diverse summer research experience for student 

and teacher interns. Summer enrichment experiences include content and research 

seminars, team oral research reports, visits to various research laboratories and informal education institutions, participation in local and national research summits, and 

a final research summit with participants from other Government agencies, such as 

the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of 

Defense. Partnerships include NASA (lead), NSF, New York City and New York State 

Departments of Education, ten colleges/universities, and various informal education 

institutions. The City University of New York serves as the NYCRI lead institution. 

Diversity statistics show that 54 percent of the participants are minority and 21 percent are female.

Summer of Innovation. NASA Summer of 

Innovation (SOI) is a solicitation-driven 

project designed to support learner interest in STEM by strengthening the capacity of community and school-based organizations that inspire and engage middle 

school learners in STEM content during 

the summer. The SOI project leverages 

NASA funding and content to expand 

both the school and community-based 

collaborators’ ability to provide meaningful, educational, and exciting STEM 

experiences to under-represented learners 

entering grades 4–9. SOI also supports 

projects seeking to strengthen current 

STEM education efforts through the use 
46 Chapter 5 

of NASA content resources. Over 2,900 learners and 350 educators, both certified 

and informal, received no less than 30 hours of NASA-unique/SOI content. Each 

program had a family component in which parents/guardians were engaged in NASA 

STEM activities. 

NASA CENTERS

Girl Scouts Partnership. Ames 

Women’s Influence Network 

(WIN) Advisory Group has an 

ongoing partnership with the 

Northern California Girl Scouts 

Chapter to provide multiple activities throughout the year. Activities 

include a one-day hands-on exploration fair with over 150 STEM 

exhibits for 1,200 girls ages K–12 

and a weeklong video game design 

camp for 3rd- through 8th-graders. Girls discover the many facets behind the creation 

of a video game and are introduced to basic coding skills. 

Goddard Big Explosion Strong Gravity (BESG). Big Explosions and Strong Gravity 

(BESG) is a one-day Girl Scout event during which girls have the opportunity to learn 

about astronomy firsthand from actual scientists and engineers. The program was 

originally developed in 2004 in cooperation with the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland 

council as an event where Girl Scouts could spend a day doing a series of activities on 

spectroscopy, cosmic abundances, supernovae, and black holes, and then receive an 

activity patch. Since that time, the curriculum has been refined, evaluated, and put 

through NASA’s product review, and is now available nationwide. The curriculum utilizes recognized best practices in teaching STEM for girls, and events are designed to 

bring girls and female scientists together for mentoring and role modeling. This program was originally developed in the Johns Hopkins 

University Department of Physics and Astronomy, 

with participation from members of Goddard and 

the Space Telescope Science Institute, as well as Girl 

Scouts of Central Maryland. Diversity statistics of 

this program are encouraging, with 100 percent of 

participants being female, and 22 percent of these 

being members of racial/ethnic minority groups.

Diversity statistics of this program are 

encouraging, with 100 percent of participants 

being female, and 22 percent of these being 

members of racial/ethnic minority groups.
Advancing the STEM Pipeline 47

Goddard NASA Internships, Fellowships and Scholarships (NIFS) Program. Goddard 

NIFS provides and supports competitive awards to support educational work opportunities that provide NASA-related experiences for educators and high school, undergraduate, and graduate students gaining real-world experience while contributing to 

the operation of a NASA facility or the advancement of NASA missions. Goddard 

NIFS provides and supports competitive awards to highlight independently conceived 

or designed research or senior design projects by faculty, undergraduate, and graduate 

student participants in disciplines NASA needs to advance its missions. 

NIFS is a ten-week hands-on STEM research experience. Each intern is placed 

with a mentor and research opportunity matching educational interests and background as provided in the application. Many projects are at the cutting-edge of science 

and technology and are important to NASA’s future research efforts. Over 450 high 

school, undergraduate, and graduate students, 49 percent representing minority and 

inclusion, participated in Goddard’s 2013 NIFS program.

Goddard Partnership with Howard University. Goddard’s Dynamic Response of 

Environments at Asteroids, the Moon and moons of Mars (DREAM2) team, a 

member of NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, is partnering with Howard University, a Historically Black University, to provide: 

a) summer internships for undergraduate students from the Department of Physics

and Astronomy, b) professional development on DREAM2-related science topics

for preservice teachers in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and in-service teachers at Howard’s on-campus Middle School of Mathematics and Science, and

c) outreach to students at the Middle School of Mathematics and Science. Â

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity

NASA Headquarters

300 E Street SW

Washington, DC 20546

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