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Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Receives $1.25 Million Grant from NASA
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To Lead Development of IMEET:
Innovative Mars Exploration Education and Technology
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Cape Canaveral, FL � September 2016 / Newsmaker Alert / Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (KSCVC) is leading a new initiative aimed at challenging high school students and educators to design and manufacture components of ground and aerial robots that would potentially be used for Mars exploration missions. Funded by a $1.25 million NASA grant for Innovative Mars Exploration Education and Technology (IMEET), the three-year program will take the form of summer camps and professional development workshops at KSCVC and partner locations throughout the country.

�Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is at the center of developing educational programs to inspire students� innovation in the fields of science and space exploration,� said Therrin Protze, chief operating officer, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. �Bringing this first of its kind program to our campus is a big part of the progress being made here as we work toward developing the knowledge and technology that will make Mars exploration possible.�

The project will be led by Delaware North, which operates Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex for NASA, and Integrated Product Lifecycle Engineering (IPLE) Laboratory at Georgia Tech and with partners including South Florida Science Center & Aquarium in West Palm Beach, Florida; Coca Cola Space Science Center in Columbus, Georgia; Museum of Aviation Education Center in Warner Robins, Georgia; and the University of New Haven in West Haven, Connecticut. These partners will provide curriculum and workshop development, implementation and project evaluation at geographically diverse, collaborative team locations.

The STEM engagement project will bring students and educators from all over the country together, in particular focusing on engaging historically under-represented groups by leveraging pre-existing relationships with partner organizations, which include the NASA Space Grant Consortia. The IMEET team will collaborate with the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) to implement this project-based curriculum in more than 13 SREB member states across the nation. Expansion of the program will generate a large set of quantitative and qualitative data for broader dissemination of the ideas and knowledge in the STEM community.

About Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex brings to life the epic story of the U.S. space program, where NASA made history and where it�s still being made. Experience a full day or more of fun and educational activities, including the Kennedy Space Center Tour featuring the Apollo/Saturn V Center with an actual Saturn V moon rocket, Space Shuttle Atlantis®, Shuttle Launch Experience®, IMAX® A Beautiful Planet 3D and Journey To Space 3D films, Astronaut Encounter, Journey To Mars: Explorers Wanted, Science on a Sphere, Rocket Garden, the new Cosmic Quest and many other interactive exhibits. Opening Nov. 16, 2016, is Heroes & Legends featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame®. Only 45 minutes from Orlando, Fla., Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex opens daily at 9 a.m. with closing times varying by season. Admission is $50 + tax for adults and $40 + tax for children ages 3-11. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex offers annual passes starting at $75 + tax for adults and $60 + tax for children ages 3-11. For more information, call 877-313-2610 or visit www.KennedySpaceCenter.com.

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About Delaware North
Delaware North is one of the largest privately-held hospitality and food service companies in the world. Founded in 1915 and owned by the Jacobs family for more than 100 years, Delaware North has global operations at high-profile places such as sports and entertainment venues, national and state parks, destination resorts and restaurants, airports, and regional casinos. Our 60,000 employee associates are dedicated to creating special experiences one guest at a time in serving more than 500 million guests annually. Delaware North has annual revenue of about $3 billion in the sports, travel hospitality, restaurants and catering, parks, resorts, gaming, and specialty retail industries. Learn more about Delaware North at www.DelawareNorth.com.

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Contacts: 
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Andrea Farmer
Public Relations Manager
321-449-4318
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Publishing Dates: 09/08/16 � 11/08/16
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