The human race is going back to Mercury! NASA's MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) mission will be only the second spacecraft to ever go to the innermost planet of our Solar System. Launched in 2004, it will make three passes by the innermost planet in 2008 and 2009, and finally go into orbit in 2011. So far humanity has ONLY seen half of Mercury's surface and there is a great deal more we have to learn about the planet. How would you like to help take the nation along for the ride as a MESSENGER Educator Fellow?

What is a MESSENGER Fellow?

The MESSENGER Education and Outreach Program Team is implementing a nationwide teacher training initiative whereby a cadre of 30 Fellows - master science teachers at the elementary, middle, and high school levels - will conduct educator workshops nationally, training up to 27,000 grade pre-K through 12 educators over the mission lifetime. Training will be conducted on concept-based, inquiry driven lessons developed by the MESSENGER education team. Forming the core of the MESSENGER Education Modules (MEMS), these standards-based lessons address solar system science, planetary observations through history, and the engineering associated with building and sending a spacecraft to another world. Additional MEM lessons will highlight other NASA solar system exploration missions. As educators, this is your chance to make a real impact in the K-12 community!

The MESSENGER Education and Outreach Program Team is made up of individuals from the following organizations: Challenger Center for Space Science Education, Carnegie Academy for Science Education, Center for Educational Resources at Montana State University - Bozeman, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Minority University-SPace Interdisciplinary Network, National Air and Space Museum, Goddard Space Flight Center and Science Systems and Applications, Inc.