NASA Leaders to Mentor New York Students on March 22

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Mar 18, 2011, 10:22 ET

WASHINGTON, March 18, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA is hosting a March 22 forum in New York City to share the excitement of space exploration and encourage students - especially girls - to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

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NASA's Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and NASA's Associate Administrator for Education Leland Melvin, a former astronaut, will attend the event and meet with 200 middle school and high school students from the Women's Academy of Excellence; the Promise Academy; the New York City Housing Authority; and the General D. Chappie James Middle School of Science.

Fashion designer Donna Karan's Urban Zen Foundation and the Foundation for Advancing Women Now, founded by singer Mary J. Blige are co-hosts of the event, which will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT at the Stephen Weiss Studio, 705 Greenwich Street, New York.

At 10:15 a.m., the students also will participate in a question-and-answer session with NASA astronaut Cady Coleman who is orbiting 220 miles above the Earth. She has been living aboard the International Space Station for the past three months. NASA Television and the agency's website will carry the downlink live.

The downlink is one in a series with educational organizations in the U.S. and abroad to improve STEM teaching and learning. It is an integral component of Teaching From Space, a NASA Education office. The office promotes learning opportunities and builds partnerships with the education community using the unique environment of microgravity and NASA's human spaceflight program.

The events also will be streamed live at:

http://www.livestream.com/urbanzen

NASA Television will air video from the space station during the event. For NASA TV downlink, schedule and streaming video information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For information about NASA's education programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/education

For information about the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

SOURCE NASA