Charles Bolden honored for a NASA program

WASHINGTON, June 22 (UPI) -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden has been recognized as a "Champion of Summer Learning" by the National Summer Learning Association.

Officials said Bolden -- one of five people honored -- is being recognized for his dedication to keeping America's middle school students engaged in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through a new space agency initiative called the Summer of Innovation.

"Bolden's leadership on the NASA Summer of Innovation program has resulted in a major step forward on two critical policy challenges facing our nation: summer learning loss and STEM education," said Ron Fairchild, CEO of the association.

Bolden officially started the program during a June 10 ceremony at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Using content from NASA's missions and research, the program engages thousands of middle school students during the summer months when many students experience a loss of skills acquired during the school year, officials said.