Program For Middle Schoolers Now In Its 10th Year

NASA and Honeywell kicked off the 2014 tour of "FMA Live! Forces in Motion" with middle school students at Wunderlich Intermediate School in Houston Monday. This year marks the 10th anniversary of this innovative collaboration designed to ignite students' interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM.)

FMA Live! is a high-energy live show that features actors, hip-hop dance, music videos, interactive scientific demonstrations and video interviews with NASA scientists to teach Sir Isaac Newton's three laws of motion and universal laws of gravity. The name of the show comes from Newton’s second law of motion: force = mass x acceleration.

"Each student needs to understand that a solid foundation in STEM can open doors they may not have known existed," said Dr. Roosevelt Y. Johnson, NASA's acting associate administrator for education. "Getting them excited is the first step – from there, the career possibilities are endless.  This has been a great collaboration between NASA and Honeywell, and I'm proud of how many students we've engaged through FMA Live! during the past 10 years."

Research shows interactive, experiential learning is the most effective way of engaging students in STEM studies and, ultimately, STEM careers. Since its inception in 2004, FMA Live! has reached more than 350,000 middle school students in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Over the course of 10 weeks, the show, under the direction of Honeywell Hometown Solutions, will reach 30 public and military-connected middle schools in nine central and southeast U.S. locations.

Stops include: Houston; Baton Rouge, LA; Hattiesburg, MS; Atlanta, GA; Huntsville, AL; Nashville, TN; Pulaski, VA; Columbia, SC; and Jacksonville, Miami and West Palm Beach, FL. A similar schedule is slated for the western part of the United States this fall.

“Like many technology-based companies, Honeywell is concerned too few students possess the necessary math and science skills to compete for STEM jobs in the 21st-century,” said Tom Buckmaster, president of Honeywell Hometown Solutions. “When it comes to STEM areas of study, early access and understanding is crucial in helping get students on track for college and career success. The FMA Live! program is designed to do this - and ultimately to inspire future innovators.”

NASA's Office of Education is committed to using the agency's unique assets, programs and facilities to inspire students to pursue STEM studies and careers.  It collaborates with a wide variety of organizations from academia, industry and government to reach learners and educators across the United States.

FMI: www.fmalive.com