The National Space Council held its second meeting on Friday at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, with climate change and science, technology, engineering and math education as key topics of discussion.
The event included a video update on the proposed Earth Information Center, which would allow the public to see how the Earth is evolving, and help scientists and authorities study and address climate change, the agency said Saturday.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson presented the video, noting that the center “will be available to everyone in an easy-to-access format.”
During the meeting, the agency also announced that it will grant more than $4 million to four institutions across the country to boost interest in NASA experiences and STEM education among traditionally underserved and underrepresented middle and high school students.
The award is part of the Space Grant K-12 Inclusiveness and Diversity in STEM program, otherwise known as SG KIDS, which aims to provide STEM opportunities to students in marginalized communities.
Vice President Kamala Harris presided over the NSpC meeting and reiterated the importance of the country’s leadership role in space exploration.
“There is so much we still don’t know and so much we still haven’t done – space remains a place of undiscovered and unrealized opportunity. Our test and our responsibility is to work together to guide humanity forward into this new frontier and to make real the incredible potential of space for all people,” said Harris, who is also the council’s chair.
