Service-Learning in Space! (Learn and Serve America Grantee)

Joseph Michael "Joe" Acaba (born May 17, 1967) is an educator, hydrogeologist, NASA astronaut and Florida service-learning practitioner. In May 2004 he became the first person of Puerto Rican heritage to be named as a NASA astronaut candidate, when he was selected as a member of NASA Astronaut Training Group 19. He completed his training on February 10, 2006 and is currently assigned to STS-119, which was launched on March 15, 2009 to deliver the final set of solar arrays to the International Space Station.

In the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 school years, Joe helped coordinate a Florida Learn & Serve project at Dunnellon Middle School in Marion County.

During the project, 120 7th-8th graders in the school's Science Center Program engaged in environmental protection and improvement activities with the SW Fla. Water Mgt. District. Activities included wetland data collection and analysis, exotic species removal, native species restoration, and water quality sampling.

The students conducted ongoing water quality monitoring in the rivers, removed exotic vegetation in the state park, awarded mini-grants to other teachers to conduct projects, worked on the Cross-Florida Greenways Trail, and gave presentations to other students to teach about watershed protection through their PAWS (Promoting Awesome Watershed Stewardship) program.

Click below to see a video message from Joe Acaba about the importance of education and his preparations for the NASA trip.