In 2009, The National Center of Education Statistics recently reported
that U.S. students placed “below average in Math and Science”:

• In Math, U.S. high schoolers were in the bottom quarter of the countries that participated, trailing countries including Finland, China and Estonia.
  
• In Science, the United States falls behind countries such as Canada, Japan and the Czech Republic.
  
• Fourth and eight graders who were part of the Mathematics testing have improved their average scores compared with their European counterparts, but they still lag behind their Asian peers in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Singapore.
  
• In Science, fourth-graders have fallen behind other students even though their average scores remained about the same. The eight-graders’ scores remain about the same compared to 1995.
  
  The Virginia Air & Space Center is the ideal place to stimulate an interest in Science. After just one visit, children leave motivated and determined to explore their world and beyond.

The Virginia Air & Space Center Can Make a Difference…

• For over 17 years, the Virginia Air & Space Center has welcomed over 6 million visitors.
  
• The Virginia Air & Space Center continues to serve as the region’s leading source of informal science education, serving a total 239,198 children in 2009 fiscal year with hands-on education programs, interactive science demonstrations, and docent-led tours that focus on Math and Science Standards of Learning guidelines. Our ultimate goal is to spark an interest in Science, so students will pursue careers in the fields of Math, Science and Technology.
  
• Last year, over 700 campers enjoyed the extremely popular Overnight Science Camp-ins & Science Day Camps!
  
• In FY09, our Opportunity Program, Inc. provided more than 23,000 underprivileged students with an educational experience.
  
• Volunteers contributed over 10,000 hours of service to education programs and administrative support in FY09.

With the many challenges we face in educating students in Math and Science, it is more important than ever for the community to support the Virginia Air & Space Center educational programs. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Virginia Air & Space Center’s Annual Fund. Complete and return the enclosed response envelope or make your contribution on-line at www.vasc.org/involved, and know through your support, the Virginia Air & Space Center will continue to inspire the next generation of explorers.