Aeronautics in America Program Summary

Representatives from three universities, University of Kansas, University of Nebraska-Omaha and San Francisco Art Institute in combination with The California Space Grant Foundation and NASA developed this project, The A.I.A. Poster & Essay Project, to stimulate middle school and high school students’ interest in aerospace. Working with these institutions and Adobe Software, middle school students from social-economic disadvantaged neighborhoods shared their vision for the 21st Century with the nation in the form of a Skyways of Tomorrow essays and accompanying posters.

The project used some of the latest in low cost audio-video technology developed by Digital Mud Studio, a contractor for CSGF, as a tool to bring elements of the program together. Audio-video web-conferencing permitted NASA experts to talk one-on-one with schools across the nation. It also enabled university students to participate in the project as mentors of the middle and high school students. The middle schools students were supported by Graphic Arts, Education and Aerospace university students from across the nation as they explored the major events and trends in aerospace over the last century. Students studied the impacts of these trends and formed a vision of the future mentored by NASA Aeronautics personnel via INTERNET conferencing. The final piece of the project was an essay and poster contest among the participating schools. Between the middle of October to the end of November 2004, the young artists’ posters were prominently displayed at the Oakland International Airport in Oakland, CA.

We will not know for several years how extensively this project has touched the lives of the students involved. However, extrapolating from their reactions during their participation in the webcasts and mentoring sessions, one has to conclude that aerospace science will be playing a bigger part in their lives than it did before this project. Time will tell whether the project has reached all of its goals. Although many difficulties were encountered in the execution of this project, all of the stated objectives were reached. None of the problems faced were ongoing show stoppers, and the most significant problems went away with the improved server hardware and software delivered by Digital Mud Studio about halfway through the project. In addition, considering that this was a first time effort this project should be considered a huge success.

Click here for a list of team members.