Group Will Sponsor 2008 Educational Competition
The Coalition for Space Exploration
announced this week a partnership with the NASA Means Business
program to sponsor its 2008 competition.
NASA Means Business (NMB) is a national program that provides an
opportunity for college students to tell the NASA story to the
public through a communications plan that will inform, educate and
inspire Americans to understand and support the nation’s
space program. The program is directed by the Texas Space Grant
Consortium – a group of 36 institutions which include
universities, industrial organizations, non-profit organizations
and government agencies that collaborate to help make available the
benefits of space research and technology to all.
This marks the second consecutive year the Coalition has
sponsored the competition. "The mission of NASA Means Business
truly aligns with the goals and objectives of the Coalition," said
Mary Engola, chair of the Coalition for Space Exploration Public
Affairs Team. "We know this generation will be the very ones
carrying out the next steps of our country’s space
exploration plan. This unique competition gives them a direct
connection to space and engages them in making real contributions
to NASA."
Celebrating its 10th year, the NMB program has outlined a
different theme in each competition since 1998. This year,
participating teams are challenged to develop a program that will
help NASA share the innovation and technologies it creates to spur
developments in research and commerce. The goal is to
increase awareness that the nation’s investment in
spaceflight technologies can be used in a variety of fields beyond
NASA.
"We tell these participants to imagine what it would be like if
NASA could advertise," said Burke Fort, director of NASA Means
Business. "We basically ask them, ‘What would it look like?
What innovative methods could our space agency use to communicate
using various tools like advertising, marketing, communications and
journalism?’"
The teams then develop the various multimedia elements of their
plan – which include a 20-second video production and other
radio, print and internet products that showcase the themes of
those plans. "The program is a unique opportunity to bridge the gap
between the science and technology industry, and the creative
culture," Engola added.
Teams assembled in September and submitted their proposals in
November. In December, program executives selected four finalist
proposals that demonstrate expertise in both traditional space
disciplines and some not normally associated with space:
- Bentley College – Waltham, MA.
- Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide – Eglin
Air Force Base, FL.
- Miami International University of Art & Design –
Miami, FL.
- University of Wisconsin – Madison, WI.
In late February, leaders from the finalist teams will go
through an intense orientation at NASA Johnson Space Center, where
they will meet with NASA officials and employees to learn about the
inner workings of space and exploration programs.
They will tour several JSC facilities – including the
shuttle and space station training centers, space suit lab and
Mission Control Center – to get a complete understanding of
the program and its components. They also will meet with
representatives of the JSC Education, Public Affairs and Legal
offices, as well as gain access to NASA’s entire photograph
and video archive for use in their productions.
Prior to the final presentation, teams get a chance to meet with
NMB coordinators and judges to evaluate their progress, receive
feedback on their projects and fine-tune elements of their
promotional plan. In May, teams will present their final work to a
panel of judges at NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
"As we mark the 10th year of the competition, we intend to
expand the program to not only generate awareness for NASA, but for
NASA Means Business itself," said Fort. "Our partnership with the
Coalition will provide the resources and support for us to achieve
both goals."
ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.13.24)
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