Space Agency Is Developing A Multi-Player Online Game "Astronaut School"

Challenger Center for Space Science Education has received a $1 million dollar grant from NASA to validate the educational goals and content of NASA's new massive multi-player online game, Astronaut School, now in development. Challenger Center, will partner on this grant with a wide range of groups including the Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond consortium of game developers, Dr. Larry Lowe at Benedict College, Wisdom Tools and NASA's Learning Technologies Program Office, as well a number of diverse Challenger Learning Centers, teachers and students. 
 
The Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond LLC consortium of three companies (Information Place, Virtual Heroes and Project Whitecard) has been designated by NASA as the organization that will create the multiplayer online game featuring NASA missions and Earth and space science content. Benedict College, a historically black institution in Columbia, South Carolina, is a leading minority institution which is ranked second in the nation in producing African American Physics majors. Wisdom Tools is an organization that spun out of Indiana University's Center for Excellence in Education and is focused on the research, design and development of serious games and e-learning software.
 
Participating Challenger Learning Centers include the Challenger Learning Center of South Carolina partnered with South Carolina State University; the Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee partnered with Florida State University; the Buehler Challenger and Science Center of New Jersey on the campus of Bergen Community College, and the Challenger Learning Center of Nevada located in Washoe County. 
 
Challenger Center is uniquely suited to lead this proposal. For 23 years, Challenger Center has been providing simulated space missions and educational programs and content for students, teachers, college students, and adults that integrate NASA missions, and inspire students to consider STEM careers through meaningful activities that utilize NASA resources. Dan Barstow, Challenger Center's president, said of this award, "This new online game will help NASA deepen its reach across the nation by providing much needed STEM educational opportunities for students, and our role in helping to validate the content with our partners will help to ensure that the game has strong educational content, learning goals, and a balanced evaluation focused on the real-world challenges of NASA's Earth and space science programs".
 
Benedict College is committed to establishing and maintaining high quality programs of teaching, research, and public service and is distinguished by its continued commitment to facilitate the empowerment, enhancement, and full participation of African-Americans in American society. Dr. Larry Lowe is a Professor of the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Health Science at Benedict College and has strong ties to NASA through his microgravity research.

FMI: www.nasa.gov, www.challenger.org/