News: NASA to Create Ofc of Participatory Exploration, Focus on 5 Kinds of Engmt

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) today posted a presentation that highlights plans for expanding public participation, part of a new Office of Participatory Exploration that will be created in FY 2011.

The plan--presented by the agency's Participatory Exploration (PE) study team yesterday at the NASA Exploration Enterprise Workshop in Galveston, TX--has three elements:
"1. Support research in new technologies to increase public participation.
2. Coordinate NASA-wide efforts to ensure that Participatory Exploration activities are included in future missions. The Office also will coordinate and promote the inclusion of participatory exploration activities in other Agency projects, outreach and education practices.
3. Act as a clearinghouse for identifying and communicating best practices in Participatory Exploration." (p. 3)

The goals of the program include creating opportunities for personal connections with NASA and its missions, stimulating public interest in STEM and furthering the agency's access to the interest, knowledge, skills, creativity and innovation that exists outside the NASA community. It will focus on five kinds of engagement: Information Dissemination, Content Interaction, Conversation, Contribution and Collaboration.

See the complete presentation here.