Honeywell And NASA Bring STEM Education Event Back For 10th Year, 1000th School

MORRIS TOWNSHIP, N.J., Nov. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) and NASA are celebrating 10 years of collaboration with FMA Live! Forces in Motion, an award-winning, hip-hop physics education program that inspires middle school students to learn and enjoy math and science in a compelling, fun and memorable way. The popular show, which will visit its 1,000^th school during this special tour, is in high demand, having been performed before 400,000 students in all 48 contiguous U.S. states, as well as in Mexico and Canada.

The fall tour is rolling into Colorado Springs this week, hosting shows at four local schools, including: Janitell Junior High School, Fountain Middle School, Jenkins Middle School and Carson Middle School.

Honeywell and NASA have joined to bring FMA Live! Forces in Motion to Colorado Springs as part of its continued commitment to provide STEM focused education assistance to students from military families. The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) has provided data to assist in identifying highly military impacted school districts for consideration for our scheduling of FMA Live! Forces in Motion, tours. This outreach impacts more than 2,300 students across schools, including middle schools from Widefield School District 3 and Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8. The physics-focused hip hop program serves to help reinforce the basic principles of STEM education subjects, a mission that complements DoDEA's broader goals to continue to infuse science, technology, engineering and mathematics across all grade levels, curriculum and instruction.

In recent world rankings from the National Science Board, the United States, which remains the world's largest pool of scientists and engineers, lags in science and math performance with high school students showing below-average math skills and ranking 26th in the world.

"As a technology-based company, Honeywell is devoted to equipping the next-generation of inspired students with the tools they will need to succeed in the U.S. job market, including skills in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)," said Tom Buckmaster, President, Honeywell Hometown Solutions. "FMA Live! provides students with early access to the types of programs that are crucial in developing competencies to keep students competitive throughout their academic and professional careers."

"The continued success of our great collaboration with Honeywell on FMA Live! is a testament to the fact that STEM and cool are one," said Donald James, associate administrator for education at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "By combining compelling, NASA-unique content and dynamic stage performances to teach physics, we are inspiring students to study hard and become America's future scientists, engineers and explorers."

Over the course of 10 weeks, the show, under the direction of Honeywell Hometown Solutions, will reach 55 public, private and military-connected middle schools in seven west coast and southwest U.S. states, including: Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, CA; Phoenix and Tucson, AZ; Santa Fe, NM; Denver and Fort Carson, CO; and Salt Lake City, UT. The program will also be back on tour in the spring throughout the eastern part of the United States.

About FMA Live!
Using live actors, hip-hop songs, music videos, interactive scientific demonstrations and video interviews with scientists and engineers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the show teaches Newton's Three Laws of Motion and Universal Laws of Gravity.

Honeywell and NASA created FMA Live! to inspire middle school students to explore STEM concepts and careers. The program addresses Forces and Motion learning objectives outlined by the Next Generation Science Education Standards for students in grades 5-8.

Through its Honeywell Hometown Solutions initiative, Honeywell has a number of award-winning programs focused on inspiring students at all grade levels to embrace STEM education.  The company chose physics for FMA Live! Forces in Motion, because studies have shown that the middle school years of education offer the best window of opportunity to get kids interested in STEM careers.

Supporting Resources:

• Read more about FMA Live! Forces in Motion
• Visit the FMA Live! Facebook page
• Follow @HON_Citizenship on Twitter
• Visit Honeywell's Corporate Citizenship page
• Learn more about NASA's education programs at: http://www.nasa.gov/education 

For Educators:

• The new FMA Live! Forces in Motion features a teachers' lounge, which provides:
  • National Science Standards-based teaching resources
  • Downloadable streaming videos
  • Music from the show
  • A comprehensive educational guide with lesson plans
• Educators interested in having FMA Live! visit their school can fill out the online application here.

About Honeywell Hometown Solutions
FMA Live! Forces in Motion is part of Honeywell Hometown Solutions, the company's corporate citizenship initiative, which focuses on five areas of vital importance: Science & Math Education, Family Safety & Security, Housing & Shelter, Habitat & Conservation, and Humanitarian Relief. Together with leading public and non-profit institutions, Honeywell has developed powerful programs to address these needs in the communities it serves. For more information, please visit http://citizenship.honeywell.com/.

About Honeywell
Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes, and industry; turbochargers; and performance materials.  For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywellnow.com

SOURCE Honeywell

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