The Selection Process
The Virginia Earth Science Systems Scholars (VESSS) Program provides high school juniors and seniors from across the Commonwealth to apply to partake in an interactive online NASA-based STEM course. Based on VESSS Online Course performance, students are selected to attend the VESSS Summer Academy, where they will have the opportunity to spend six days at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, where they will be immersed in NASA-related research and will design Earth science missions with the guidance and mentorship of NASA scientists, engineers and technologists.
2016 VESSS
The course starts with students applying for admission to the online portion of the program. Based on online course performance, students were selected to partake in the Summer Academy, which consisted of two sessions, comprised of a group of 37 students each session. Students selected to attend the VESSS Summer Academy were given an opportunity to rank their preferred weeks of attendance. Scholars arrived at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia on Saturday and will depart on Friday afternoon directly from NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA.
This year's group of students for consists of some of the Commonwealth's brightest and self-motivated juniors and seniors. At the summer academy, students will be grouped into four teams:
The Virginia Earth Science Systems Scholars (VESSS) Program provides high school juniors and seniors from across the Commonwealth to apply to partake in an interactive online NASA-based STEM course. Based on VESSS Online Course performance, students are selected to attend the VESSS Summer Academy, where they will have the opportunity to spend six days at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, where they will be immersed in NASA-related research and will design Earth science missions with the guidance and mentorship of NASA scientists, engineers and technologists.
2016 VESSS
The course starts with students applying for admission to the online portion of the program. Based on online course performance, students were selected to partake in the Summer Academy, which consisted of two sessions, comprised of a group of 37 students each session. Students selected to attend the VESSS Summer Academy were given an opportunity to rank their preferred weeks of attendance. Scholars arrived at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia on Saturday and will depart on Friday afternoon directly from NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA.
This year's group of students for consists of some of the Commonwealth's brightest and self-motivated juniors and seniors. At the summer academy, students will be grouped into four teams:
- Hydrosphere
- Atmosphere
- Lithosphere
- Biosphere