Earth to Sky is an exciting, growing partnership between NASA and the National Park Service (NPS).
What do NASA and NPS have in common?
NPS preserves and interprets natural and cultural resources on the federal lands it manages for this and future generations. NASA's mission is to understand and protect our home planet; explore the universe, and search for life; and inspire the next generation of explorers. Both agencies share the goals of educating and inspiring the public through discovery and interpretation of natural environments.
NASA exploration and science programs offer substantial benefits to NPS interpreters who in turn, inform and inspire park visitors about our place in the natural world and the universe. This partnership strengthens both agencies as they benefit from one another’s areas of expertise. Through funding from NASA’s Informal Education Office, Earth to Sky offers scientists and NPS interpreters, in-depth opportunities for collaborative work. Rangers and scientists are gaining new perspectives and creating products that use relevant science and imagery to support dynamic interpretation in the National Park setting.
Earth to Sky has two main components:
Earth to Sky began in 2004 when NASA’s Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum at the University of California, Berkeley and at Goddard Space Flight Center undertook a collaboration with NASA’s Landsat Education and Outreach program and the National Park Service. The goal was to create a series of professional development workshops in response to NASA’s Explorer Institute (NEI) grant call. The NEI provided funding for three Earth to Sky workshops that year, two at Goddard Space Flight Center, and one at Ames Research Center.
The workshops proved highly successful. Many participants mentioned they had gained a whole new way of thinking about interpretation, and virtually all found the NASA content relevant and useful for interpretation in their park. To learn more about the results of the first year’s effort click here.
In 2005, the partnership received additional funding from NASA, to develop exemplary interpretive products and additional training tools, for use in future workshops. Drawing upon leadership from the first years’ effort, three major interpretive products are under development. This has enabled the inter-agency and cross-disciplinary collaboration to continue building. To learn more about the results from the second year’s effort click here.
Earth to Sky has come about through the efforts of an innovative team. The following partners have made the first two years a success:
- NASA Informal Education Explorer Institute Program
- The National Park Service Training Division
- National Park Service Pacific West and National Capital Regions
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and NASA Ames Research Center
- University of California, Berkeley
- NASA Landsat Program
- WestEd
- National Park Service Interpreters, whose talent and dedication keep Earth to Sky a living partnership
And The Earth to Sky partnership is growing! We hope this web site will encourage communication within the NPS-NASA community and act as a resource for those who are interested in the partnership.
For more information about Earth to Sky, contact us.
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