Congratulations to Bryan Hirschman (TAS 2009) for being accepted as a NOAA Planet Steward! Twenty-five high school teachers from all over the United States were selected in the fall 2012 and will launch the pilot project this spring with their students.

Planet Stewards is a project of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and 3D GameLab to provide high school students the opportunity to earn up to 15 NOAA-certified career pathway badges. The students use 3D GameLab, a quest-based learning platform, to complete quests using NOAA educational materials. They can earn experience points, awards, achievements, and badges, as they engage in an active, hands-on, inquiry-based learning program aligned with the new K-12 Science Education Framework.  

A student participating in Planet Stewards will be able to take on the identity of a Space Weather Scientist, Hurricane Hunter, Storm Chaser, Fisheries Biologist, Coral Reef Ecologist, Marine Biologist, Coastal Manager, Hydrologist, Ecologist, Cartographer, Physical Oceanographer, Vulcanologist, Climate Modeler, Paleoclimatologist, and Climate Scientist.