International Space Station Education Inspiration In the 1960s,
the innovators responsible for missions to the moon inspired
homemade space helmets and backyard bottle rockets that sent toy
soldiers a bit shy of low-Earth orbit. The innovations of the
International Space Station , however, provide a more direct
approach to opportunities for the next generation as they watch,
learn and even participate in today's missions. For more than a
decade, the space station has provided hands-on educational
opportunities that encourage students to go beyond passive
learning, engaging them as interactive participants. The
recently published, Inspiring the Next Generation: International
Space Station Education Opportunities and Accomplishments,
2000-2012 , compiles these efforts to share with the public. "In
the past 12 years of operation, there have been more than 42
million students, 2.8 million teachers and 25,000 schools from
44 countries involved in education activities aboard the space
station," said Camille Alleyne