The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education was established in June 2005 by the Universities Space Research Association (USRA). The Center is charged with conducting national education and public outreach programs in the Earth and space sciences, and aeronautics and astronautics, which take entire communities to the frontiers of research.

The content of the Center’s programs is to reflect the research activities—and experiences of researchers— across USRA’s association of 100 member universities; USRA’s 14 other national institutes, centers, and program offices; and NASA, through a Space Act Agreement with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Programs conducted by the Center are systemic, addressing entire school systems; strategic, addressing a community’s goals in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education; and sustainable, with programming and resources provided to the community on an ongoing basis.