The Space Age on the Space Coast

This NEH Landmarks of American History and Culture and Summer Institutes for K-12 Educators program offered by the National Council for History Education gives K-12 educators the opportunity to spend a week studying the historical, cultural, and educational relevance of Florida’s Space Coast.

Beginning in the 1950s, politics, science, and culture collided in this unique geographical area as a result of the Cold War, and they continue to intersect there in profound ways today. In two summer residential workshops at Cape Canaveral, each for 30 educators, participants investigate landmarks associated with the American origins of space exploration, including the Space Shuttle Atlantis, the Vehicle Assembly Building and launchpads at the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station launch sites and museums, and multiple exhibitions at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center. Participants will engage with historians, educators, astronauts, and NASA personnel to explore how America's scientific achievements are deeply intertwined with the human experience.