Minnesota Scouts Call Space Station Astronauts

Katherine Trinidad

Headquarters, Washington

 

Rachel Kraft

Johnson Space Center, Houston

WASHINGTON -- Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and other students in St. Paul, Minn., will make a special call to the International Space Station on Tuesday, Aug. 9 at 12:55 p.m. EDT.

The event includes a video link with Expedition 28 Flight Engineers Mike Fossum and Ron Garan, which will be broadcast live on NASA Television. Fossum is scoutmaster of a Boy Scout troop in Texas.

Scouts and students ages 7 to 13 can ask questions about how living and working in space helps increase human understanding of the Earth, science, and the universe. The children also will participate in science and space-related activities before and after the question-and-answer session.

The event will take place at Base Camp, Northern Star Council, Boy Scouts of America's urban program center located at 201 Bloomington Road at Fort Snelling, Minn. To attend, journalists must contact Kent York at 612-760-8430.

The in-flight education downlink is part of a series with educational organizations in the U.S. and abroad to improve teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects. It is an integral component of Teaching From Space, an agency education program that promotes learning opportunities and builds partnerships with the education community using the unique environment of space and NASA's human spaceflight program.

For NASA TV information and schedules, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

For information about NASA's education programs, visit http://www.nasa.gov/education.

For more information about the International Space Station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

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NASA And Boy Scouts Of America Unveil New Merit Badge

Dwayne C. Brown

Headquarters, Washington

 

Brandi Dean

Johnson Space Center, Houston

 

Renee Fairrer

Boys Scouts of America, Dallas

 

WASHINGTON -- Boy Scouts now have the opportunity to work with NASA and other technology professionals to design, build, and demonstrate a robot to earn the new Robotics merit badge.

NASA and BSA developed the badge because of the wide-reaching impact of robotics and its role in science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM careers. The badge is now part of the BSA's new curriculum emphasizing STEM activities and will help young men develop critical skills relevant and needed in today's competitive world. The new merit badge is one of 31 STEM-related merit badges. Scouts will have access to engineering software and work with professional mentors worldwide to earn the badge.

"This unique partnership is another clear example of NASA looking at new and creative ways to inspire our youth to consider STEM careers," said Lyndon Bridgwater, NASA aerospace engineer and lead badge contributor from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The badge involved approximately 14 months of development and input from 13 organizations and more than 150 BSA youth members and leaders and industry professionals from across the nation. To earn the Robotics merit badge, a scout is required to understand how robots move, sense the environment and understand how to perform an operation. Scouts will spend approximately 14 hours meeting the requirements of the badge, during which they will design a robot and demonstrate how it works. The BSA anticipates more than 10,000

Robotics merit badges will be earned the first year.

"While the guiding principles of Scouting -- service to others, leadership, personal achievement, and respect for the outdoors -- will never change, we continue to adapt programs to prepare young people for success in all areas of life," said BSA Chief Scout Executive Bob Mazzuca.

For more information on BSA and a full list of the requirements to earn the badge, visit http://www.scouting.org and http://www.boyslife.org/robotics.

To view the badge, visit http://go.nasa.gov/g1aCiV.

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Boy Scouts, Deployed NSW Sailors Connect through Internet Technology

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Dominique M. Lasco, Naval Special Warfare Public Affairs

CORONADO, Calif. (NNS) -- Members of Boy Scout Troop 806 completed their final task for a merit badge March 7, by webcam-enabled chatting with SEALs and Sailors currently deployed to the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) area of responsibility.

Capt. Duncan Smith, Lt. Jared Ogden and Chief Hospital Corpsman (SW) Rob Forrester worked with Scouts of Troop 806, facilitating their quest for the "Citizenship in the World" merit badge. The Sailors taught the Scouts about the culture, customs and challenges of the nations in the Middle East, through a number of web conference sessions during a five month period.

Smith and Forrester, who have sons in the troop, suggested using the technology as a teaching tool for the Scouts.

"Capt. Smith suggested the idea of using Skype as a means to continue 'face-to-face' Citizenship in the World merit badge counseling with troop 806 Scouts," said Matt Pittner, Troop 806 scoutmaster. "We attempt to keep our deployed parents informed and involved with the troop as much as possible, so the idea seemed to be a perfect way to keep the parents engaged while offering the Scouts firsthand experience with international cultures and affairs for their Citizenship in the World merit badge work."

Some Scouts thought that using Internet technology to talk to Smith and other mentors more than 8,000 miles away, was helpful and fun.

"It's really cool because he's on the other side of the world, and we are talking to him on the computer," said Sam Hopson, a 2nd Class Scout in the troop. "It's pretty cool because it's almost instant when talking to him."

The education and experience the Sailor-mentors was beneficial to the Scouts working toward earning the badge.

"I think it definitely enhances the whole experience of learning about the world, because we are learning about it from a Navy SEAL somewhere in a country that has opposite rights, rules and laws," said Evan Arnold, a 1st Class Scout in the troop. "I think it really helps give the Scouts a different picture of what citizenship of the world is really like."

The merit badge is one of the requirements to advance to Eagle Scout, the pinnacle rank of Scouting, which is achieved by only 4 percent of all members. Scouts must earn a minimum of 21 merit badges, including the Citizenship in the World qualification and complete a service project.

Once these requirements are completed, the Scout must complete an Eagle Board of Review with adult leaders from the Scout's area council who endorses the nomination to the National Council. The National Council is the final authority to confer the rank of Eagle Scout.