An ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) will assess the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Science Activation (SciAct) program’s current efforts, in its second phase, towards meeting its four stated top-level objectives and corresponding mid-level objectives in support of SciAct 2.0’s overarching vision and desired outcomes. Objectives of the SciAct program are: Enable STEM education, improve U.S. scientific literacy, advance national education goals and leverage efforts through partnerships. Particular areas of interest are in broadening participation of lifelong learners with NASA subject matter experts and authentic experiences.

The NASEM Assessment Committee will carry out its work by drawing on 1) evidence about effective STEM education in and out of school summarized in previous reports from the Board on Science Education, 2) documentation of changes to the SciAct program since NASEM’s 2020 Science Activation Assessment, and 3) knowledge of SMD science content from the Space Studies Board. The committee's final report will:

• Provide a concise written assessment of status of the SMD Science Activation program including discussion of the revisions made since the 2020 NASEM assessment;
• identify any gaps in the SciAct approach, given new advances in science education pedagogy and recent Decadal recommendations; and
• make recommendations related to management of and priorities for the next phase (3.0) of the program.