WHEREAS, space technology is now an integral part of daily life, with space service benefits to the public seen in satellite news, sports, and entertainment; satellite weather prediction; satellite internet; satellite-linked credit card authorization; national security; telemedicine; space-enabled environmental monitoring, wildlife habitat protection, crop-related irrigation and pest management, city and highway planning, mapping, forest fire prevention, transportation tracking and vehicle navigation; space-based paging services, international telephone services, video-conferencing, and distance learning; and

WHEREAS, space provides inspiration and promotes learning excitement; and

WHEREAS, space technology holds the promise of eliminating the digital divide; and

WHEREAS, space-related curriculum can support compliance with California's science and math standards; and

WHEREAS, NASA and other space stakeholder organizations have referred to today's youth as "the Mars Generation" due to the fact that a Mars landing will take place in the working lifetimes of the early 21st century student population; and

WHEREAS, in the next 50 years, thousands of today's students will be living in space and/or working in space-related careers either here on earth in space seryices such as the above or on-orbit fields such as space manufacturing, space science and research, space mining, space tourism, and space exploration; and

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Contra Costa County Board of Education supports space education and having students, teachers, and parents educated in the vast opportunities being presented to today's youth in and through space, acquainting them with the services and careers available to 2lst century young people through space-related technologies.

PASSED AND ADOPTED this 14th day of November, 2001, by the following vote of the Board:

AYES: LeMay, Gomes, Ruley, Borsuk, and Mirabella

NOES: None

ABSENT: None

ABSTAIN: None

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