NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission, scheduled for launch in Summer 2008, will conduct a survey of the entire sky in the infrared, studying more than 100,000 asteroids, the coolest and closest stars to the Sun, and the most luminous galaxies in the Universe. The mission will captivate a wide range of audiences in the formal and informal science education communities.
WISE science presents unique opportunities for the E/PO program to:
1) Enhance the quality of science, mathematics, and technology education at the pre-college level,
2) Share the excitement of WISE space science discoveries with the public and
3)Help create our 21st-century scientific and technical work force.
Over the course of the mission, WISE and its E/PO partners will develop physical science and mathematics lessons to be used in K-14 classrooms, teacher professional development experiences, museum exhibits and programs, kits for informal educators to use in public presentations, and multimedia with background science information on the WISE website.
The WISE E/PO team will hold a kick-off meeting with 11 nationwide institutional partners to discuss long-range plans. All interested in NASA E/PO programs are welcome to attend.