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Overview Partner School Science Program (PSSP) Scholarship Program

History of the Partner School Science Program

The year-long Partner School Science Program connects teachers and their students in different countries via space education to motivate students to increase their knowledge of math and science.  Collaborative projects via e-mail and videoconferencing  are intended to promote cross-cultural understanding and friendship

The program was started in 2003. In past three years 17 top schools in Turkey, 14 schools from the U.S., three schools from Israel, and two schools from Bulgaria have participated in the program. From those schools, more than 1500 students, teachers, principals worked together to develop their science-related projects and friendship

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Turkish School Participants, 2003 – 2009

U.S. School Participants, 2003 – 2009

Israeli School Participants, 2004 – 2009

Bulgarian School Participant, 2005 – 2009

(Note that not all the above schools participated for all six years.)

During the year-long program most of the students and teachers were able send emails to each other and have three-way videoconferences with NASA experts or astronauts.  Some were able meet their E-Pals during a unique six-day summer program at Space Camp Turkey called E-Pal Week.  During the E-Pal Weeks held since the start of the program, students and teachers were able to meet and talk with NASA astronauts, a Romanian Cosmonaut, hear interesting guest speakers and ask questions by teleconference directly to the astronauts on the International Space Station.  They also had the experience of working with young people from many different countries.

E-Pal Week Highlights:

2009 – E- Pal Week

  • Astronaut Jon A. McBride - Captain, USN, Ret.   - Guest Speaker and week-long visitor at Space Camp Turkey

2008 – E- Pal Week

  • Astronaut Dr. Jay Buckey – Payload Specialist – Guest Speaker and week–long visitor at Space Camp Turkey
2007 – E- Pal Weeks
  • *Cosmonaut Yuri Baturin – The First Politician Cosmonaut – Guest Speaker and week - long visitor at Space Camp Turkey
  • *NASA Astronaut Roger Crouch – The First Politician Cosmonaut – Guest Speaker and week-long visitor at Space Camp Turkey
  • Amateur Radio contact with NASA scientist Pat Kilroy

2006 – E-Pal Weeks 

  • *Cosmonaut Dorin Priunariu Dumitru – First and Only Romanian Cosmonaut – Guest Speaker and week-long visitor at Space Camp Turkey
  • *NASA Astronaut Shannon Lucid –Capsule Communicator – Guest Speaker and week-long visitor at Space Camp Turkey

October 8-12, 2006 – Special Session for PSSP students in Izmir

  • *NASA Astronaut Steven Lindsey – Space Shuttle Commander – Guest Speaker and week-long visitor at Space Camp Turkey

2005 - E-Pal Weeks

  • Hüsnü Arsev Eraslan – NASA Scientist – Guest Speaker
  • *NASA Astronaut Andrew Gaffney, Payload Specialist – Guest Speaker and week-long visitor at Space Camp Turkey

July 04-10, 2004 – E-Pal Week 

  • Patriarch Bartholomew of the Greek Orthodox Church – Guest Visitor
  • NASA Astronaut Dr.Ellen Baker, NASA Goddard Space Center – Videoconference
  • Dr. Carolynn Conley, NASA Integration Manager for Amateur Radio for the ISS – Guest Speaker
  • Astronaut Janet L.Kavandi, NASA Astronaut – Videoconference
  • Astronuat Michael Fincke, Expedition 9 NASA ISS Science Officer/Flight Engineer – Amateur Radio Contact with Space Station

July 13-19, 2003 – E-Pal Week

  • Ulku Adatepe, Ataturk’s adopted daughter – Guest Speaker
  • Isılay Davaz, Youngest pilot in the world – Guest Speaker
  • Dr. Jeffrey Theal, NASA Director for Russian Integration of the ISS – teleconference
  • Susan Anderson, NASA Distant Learning Program Expert - Videoconference
  • Dr.Carolynn Conley, NASA Integration Manager for Amateur Radio for the ISS – Videoconference
  • NASA Astronaut Ed Lu, Expedition 7 NASA ISS Science Officer, July 2003 – Amateur Radio Contact with International Space Station

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