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Bard HS Early College celebrates Andrew Levine who has been competitively selected and awarded the opportunity to participate in NASA’s Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI) in a research project entitled: Monitoring and Studying Lakes from Space in a Changing Climate under the mentorship of NASA Scientists Dr. Reggie Blake & Dr. Hamid Norouzi. CCRI teachers were selected through a competitive application and panel review process. Your teacher, Andrew Levine demonstrated a high degree of expertise in educational leadership, curriculum development, pedagogy, STEM education, teamwork, collaboration, innovation, scientific expertise and excellence in research.

The NASA Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI) is a year-long STEM engagement and leadership development opportunity for STEM educators and graduate students to work directly with NASA scientists and lead research teams in a NASA research project related to the study and science of climate change. Educators participating in this opportunity become associate researchers at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC).

During the fall and spring terms of CCRI, the primary research team consists of NASA Principal Investigators who lead graduate students and high school STEM educators to become engaged in a NASA science research area related to climate change. Participating high school STEM educators develop an Applied Research STEM Curriculum Portfolio that integrates components of their research into a comprehensive unit plan that integrates NASA education resources while aligning NASA Science and STEM curricula instruction to the Common Core, State Science and Next Generation Science Standards. The CCRI teachers integrate the curriculum into their classrooms and provide community STEM engagement events related to their NASA research study to their professional learning community.

During the summer session, the primary research team adds undergraduate and high school interns to the team and works collaboratively on a full-time basis to complete the research project, deliver presentations, and create a scientific poster and research paper that is presented to NASA’s senior leadership, the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and other regional and national science conferences and symposiums.

Andrew Levine will also serve as a STEM education leader, liaison and CCRI Educator Ambassador for the NASA Office of STEM Engagement at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies within your school and community. An additional goal of the program is to create a professional learning community of STEM educators to inspire the next generation of explorers to pursue STEM careers. We aim to support your schools STEM education efforts and provide ongoing support for your students, faculty, and community.

NASA is very grateful for Andrew Levine participation and leadership in NASA’s Climate Change Research Initiative program.