NASA And Mary J. Blige Encourage Science Careers For Women

WASHINGTON -- NASA is collaborating with award-winning recording
artist Mary J. Blige to encourage young women to pursue exciting
experiences and career choices by studying science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM).

A public service announcement featuring veteran NASA space shuttle
astronaut Leland Melvin and Blige debuts this week on NASA TV and the
agency's website at: http://www.nasa.gov.

NASA's Summer of Innovation (SoI) project and Blige's Foundation for
the Advancement of Women Now (FFAWN) have much in common. Both show
students the many possibilities available if they follow their dreams
and reach for the stars.

The SoI project is part of the President's Educate to Innovate
Campaign. It started earlier this summer to help keep middle school
students engaged in fun and stimulating STEM-related activities
during the school break.

"Working with FFAWN is a rare opportunity to help spread the STEM
message into communities not always readily accessible to us," Melvin
said. "Mary's presence can help NASA make the STEM message more
appealing to these communities and increase the pipeline of
underrepresented students going into these disciplines."

Working with the NASA Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Aerospace
Academy project at York College of the City University of New York
(CUNY), the joint effort is providing on-the-job training for FFAWN
high school participants. High school girls in the program will be
prepared to deliver NASA SoI content to middle school students this
summer at the New York City Housing Authority Van Dyke Community
Center and the Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy.

The FFAWN participants also will have the opportunity to support the
NASA Academy fall academic session at CUNY as student aides for
grades one through nine later this year.

For information about NASA's Summer of Innovation project, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/soi

For information about FFAWN, visit:

http://www.ffawn.org

Source: NASA