NASA announces educational TV partnership

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 14 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says it has launched a partnership with the National Institute of Aerospace to produce educational television programs.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Deputy Administrator Shana Dale said the TV programs will be available on NASA Television and the Internet.

The announcement was part of Dale's keynote address Wednesday in San Jose, Calif., during the NASA Future Forum.

Dale said the partnership is designed to engage young people in the excitement and challenges the future holds for America's space program. Designed for grades K-12 and young adults, the short video snippets will be available on demand through the Internet during the 2008 and 2009 school years.

NASA said elementary school-level segments will provide a balanced introduction to the fields of science and engineering and be aligned to national education standards, while middle school-level segments will detail the relevance of math to 21st century careers. The high school-level segments will build on the engineering and science behind NASA projects and missions.

General public programs will be aimed at the 18- to 34-year-old audience and focus on the impact of space exploration, scientific discovery, aeronautics research and NASA-derived technologies on society.