Launches New Website In Conjunction With Women's History Month

NASA will debut its new Women@NASA website during a Women's History Month event at the agency's Headquarters in Washington at 1300 EDT on Wednesday, March 16. Approximately 200 local students from elementary through high school level will attend and learn about the significant and varied roles women have played in the agency's history.

NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver will host the event. The featured guest will be Valerie B. Jarrett, senior advisor and assistant to the president for intergovernmental affairs and public engagement, and chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls.

The one-hour program will feature NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell-Dyson, who recently returned from a six-month stay aboard the International Space Station, and other notable NASA women whose profiles are on the Women@NASA website. Students in the audience will be able to ask the presenters questions.

A pre-show event for the students runs from 1200-1250 EDT. Students will participate in an interactive science demonstration with Trena Farrell, a NASA aerospace education specialist. The pre-show also will feature a performance by the Science Cheerleaders, a group of professional cheerleaders-turned-scientists and engineers who challenge stereotypes while helping to inspire young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). STEM education is a key focus of NASA's education efforts aimed at developing the next generation of scientists, engineers and explorers.

FMI: www.nasa.gov/education, www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/cwg