Pathways To Exploration

The United States has publicly funded its human spaceflight program on a continuous basis for more than a half-century, through three wars and a half-dozen recessions, from the early Mercury and Gemini suborbital and Earth orbital missions, to the lunar landings, and thence to the first reusable winged crewed spaceplane that the United States operated for three decades. Today the United States is the major partner in a massive orbital facility - the International Space Station - that is becoming the focal point for the first tentative steps in commercial cargo and crewed orbital space flights. And yet, the long-term future of human spaceflight beyond this project is unclear. Pronouncements by multiple presidents of bold new ventures by Americans to the Moon, to Mars, and to an asteroid in its native orbit, have not been matched by the same commitment that accompanied President Kennedy\'s now fabled 1961 speech-namely, the substantial increase in NASA funding needed to make it happen. Are we still committed to advancing human spaceflight? What should a long-term goal be, and what does the United States need to do to achieve it? Pathways to Exploration explores the case for advancing this endeavor, drawing on the history of rationales for human spaceflight, examining the attitudes of stakeholders and the public, and carefully assessing the technical and fiscal realities. This report recommends maintaining the long-term focus on Mars as the horizon goal for human space exploration. With this goal in mind, the report considers funding levels necessary to maintain a robust tempo of execution, current research and exploration projects and the time/resources needed to continue them, and international cooperation that could contribute to the achievement of spaceflight to Mars. According to Pathways to Exploration, a successful U.S. program would require sustained national commitment and a budget that increases by more than the rate of inflation. In reviving a U.S. human exploration program capable of answering the enduring questions about humanity's destiny beyond our tiny blue planet, the nation will need to grapple with the attitudinal and fiscal realities of the nation today while staying true to a small but crucial set of fundamental principles for the conduct of exploration of the endless frontier. The recommendations of Pathways to Exploration provide a clear map toward a human spaceflight program that inspires students and citizens by furthering human exploration and discovery, while taking into account the long-term commitment necessary to achieve this goal.

Pathways for Remembering and Recognizing Indigenous Thought in Education is an exploration into some of the shared cross-cultural themes that inform and shape Indigenous thought and Indigenous educational philosophy.

Help students be more focused and team-oriented, and become the true drivers of their own learning by centering learning and planning around one of several broad career avenues.

High school students are more fully engaged in their education and postsecondary decision-making when they understand the "real life" connections between education and future careers. The Power and Promise of Pathways: How to Prepare All American Students for Career and Life Success, written by the National Center for College and Career Transitions (NC3T) founder Hans Meeder, offers educators a comprehensive look at secondary pathways from the early planning stage to full implementation along with key issues relating to the transformation a pathways initiative brings to an entire community. Topics are presented with current research and best practice examples: Defining career and life readiness and why this is important. Developing a comprehensive pathways system that addresses six key components. Building a career development system that deeply impacts how students and their parents plan for postsecondary education and careers. Integrating college, career, and life readiness into exciting and engaging pathway programs that also address critical workforce needs and opportunities. Collaborating meaningfully with employer and community organizations in order to form mutually beneficial partnerships that offer opportunities for students to experience the world beyond school. Integrating dynamic teaching and learning approaches into pathway programs so that students also learn important life and employability skills.Hans Meeder is president of the National Center for College and Career Transitions, an organization that provides coaching and technical assistance for schools and communities involved in launching a college and career pathways system. Hans, former Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education, is an internationally recognized speaker and author with expertise in pathways, school reform, career and technical education, and STEM education.

Career Pathways in Action offers a detailed exploration of the Pathways to Prosperity Network's efforts at state, regional, and local levels through five case studies across the United States. The cases include efforts to scale up strategic partnerships; balance state policies with particular regional needs and circumstances; and ensure postsecondary success. While the programs vary significantly from one another, they all involve cooperation between political, business, and educational institutions. The cases provide practical models for partnerships that can best serve young people and the industries in which they hope to find rewarding work. "Career Pathways in Action takes the goal of collaboration across K-12, higher education, and industry to the next level. The case studies detail how states and regions unpack the challenges of developing pathways with real value in the marketplace. Career pathways succeed as they reinforce the relevance of course studies and skills for success in the world of work." --Maura Banta, former chair of the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education "As technology disrupts the working world, consensus grows that employers must engage more deeply in education: better aligning skills supply and demand and making learning richer and more relevant. This valuable collection looks across the US, exploring how to achieve such strategic collaboration. Assessing what underpins success, this book will be an aid to all those seeking to ensure education in the twenty-first century truly serves all learners." --Anthony Mann, Head of Vocational Education and Training, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Robert B. Schwartz is a professor emeritus of practice in educational policy and administration at Harvard Graduate School of Education and a cofounder of the Pathways to Prosperity Network as well as coeditor for the Work and Learning Series. Amy Loyd is vice president of Building Educational Pathways for Youth at Jobs for the Future and leads the Pathways to Prosperity and college and career pathways work. Nancy Hoffman is a senior advisor at Jobs for the Future and a cofounder of the Pathways to Prosperity Network as well as coeditor for the Work and Learning Series.

The original charter of the Space Science Board was established in June 1958, three months before the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) opened its doors. The Space Science Board and its successor, the Space Studies Board (SSB), have provided expert external and independent scientific and programmatic advice to NASA on a continuous basis from NASA's inception until the present. The SSB has also provided such advice to other executive branch agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Department of Defense, as well as to Congress. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2017 covers a message from the chair of the SSB, David N. Spergel. This report also explains the origins of the Space Science Board, how the Space Studies Board functions today, the SSB's collaboration with other National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine units, assures the quality of the SSB reports, acknowledges the audience and sponsors, and expresses the necessity to enhance the outreach and improve dissemination of SSB reports. This report will be relevant to a full range of government audiences in civilian space research - including NASA, NSF, NOAA, USGS, and the Department of Energy, as well members of the SSB, policy makers, and researchers.