NASA INSPIRE

INSPIRE
NASA INSPIRE (Interdisciplinary National Science Project Incorporating Research and Education Experience) is a NASA educational program is a year-round project designed for students in ninth to 12th grade who are interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), topics and careers. Students participate in INSPIRE largely through the online learning community (OLC). Students must meet eligibility standards to apply to program. Those who are accepted have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of activities, projects and challenges, some of which are on their own and some of which are undertaken collaboratively with other INSPIRE students and/or NASA personnel. INSPIRE is one of NASA's educational outreach programs with 305 active students in the 2012-2013 school year and has been referred to as a "great way to get high-school age students involved in science, technology, engineering, and math" by NASA officials. Students accepted to the program are offered several opportunities annually to participate in group research and design project competitions. There is typically a space habitat competition annually. The best submissions in these contests are generally reviewed by NASA scientists.

Online Learning Community
Students must apply, or reapply if they are recurring participants, to the INSPIRE program in late March–June. The requirements a student must meet in order to be eligible to apply are (NASA INSPIRE website):
 * Be entering the ninth through 12th grade when the school year begins.
 * Be at least 13 years of age or older at the time of application.
 * Be a U.S. citizen.
 * Have a minimum of a 2.5 academic grade point average on an unweighted 4.0 scale.
 * Demonstrate the desire and the academic preparation to pursue a STEM-related field of study beyond high school.
 * Complete the online application process, including all three essays, with all required documentation.

The required documentation includes a school transcript, listing of all STEM courses taken in high-school thus-far, extra-curricular activities, etc. The applicant must also complete three essays, and sign and mail an application certification.

Once accepted, the student participant has the opportunity in the Online Learning Community (using a log in provided by the INSPIRE program and starting at this log in page: http://nasaoc.okstate.edu/). In this Online Community, students discuss STEM topics with other participants, INSPIRE alumnae who are in college, and NASA personnel, participate in weekly group chats with NASA scientists and engineers, and earn points for completing individual and group STEM activities that range from calculations of trajectories to designing a potential lunar habitat. Once complete, the group activities such as the habitat competition are sometimes reviewed and commented upon by NASA personnel. The INSPIRE points are a factor in selections for additional activities associated with INSPIRE. Points are also a factor in determining eligibility of the participants to apply from within the INSPIRE program for exclusive summer opportunities. These summer opportunities have varied in scope depending on available funding from year to year. In the first few years of the INSPIRE program, selected participants were chosen to spend up to a week immersed in STEM learning at universities and NASA facilities. In recent years, the summer opportunities for selected participants ranged from virtual experiences through the INSPIRE online system to a multi-day program at Kennedy Space Center.

INSPIRE OLC Components

 * Latest News
 * Monthly Themes
 * Weekly Polls
 * LiveChats
 * Activities
 * Featured NASA Center
 * Fact of the Day
 * eINSPIRE Archive
 * Discussion Boards
 * Leader Board
 * Forums



Download the INSPIRE Brochure [912KB PDF file]

Follow INSPIRE events and learn more