Frequently Asked Questions about JASON
Here are FAQs about the JASON Foundation for Education.
For FAQs about Team JASON Online, click here
For FAQs about JASON Academy, click here
If you don't see the information you're looking for here, please contact the JASON Project at
1-800-608-9578 x333,
e-mail the Team at info@jason.org,
or in West Michigan call Amy Eifert at (517) 337-4814,
Bill Terkeurst at (616) 974-3423 or email us
at amy.eifert@eds.com or bill.terkeurst@eds.com
What is the JASON Foundation for Education?
How and when was JASON established?
How many students and teachers does JASON reach?
Is JASON endorsed by any prominent educational organizations?
Why is the Foundation called JASON?
How can I order JASON for my school district, school, classroom or home?
Does JASON offer professional development for educators? Where do I go to learn about training sessions?
What grade levels are JASON Expeditions and Science and Math Adventures designed to serve?
Do JASON materials align to national model standards and state curriculum requirements?
Does JASON offer homeschooling opportunities?
What are the components of a JASON Expedition curriculum program (formerly the JASON Project)?
How often does JASON offer a new Expedition?
Can I obtain materials from previous JASON Expeditions?
What is the cost to participate?
How many JASON units will I need for my school or classroom?
What equipment will I need to participate?
Do I need to have satellite equipment to participate locally?
Will every student need a classroom/lab computer?
Do I need to start using the JASON materials by a certain date?
How can I get more information?
Q: What is the JASON Foundation for Education?
A: JASON Foundation for Education, based in Needham Heights, Massachusetts, is a pioneering organization dedicated to inspiring a passion for life-long learning in science and math through innovative, technology-rich middle-grade educational and professional development programs. For middle-grade students, JASON's real-time, multimedia Expeditions and Adventures offer a unique opportunity to participate in authentic, multidisciplinary research directed by leading scientists. For educators, JASON fosters the joy of teaching. The JASON Academy offers accredited online professional development courses in science, math and literacy as well as onsite workshops and training that help make the best use of JASON Expeditions in the classroom.
Q: How and when was JASON established?
A: The JASON Foundation for Education was founded by Dr. Robert Ballard, the scientist and oceanographer who in 1986 discovered the wreck of the ill-fated RMS Titanic. Ballard's breakthrough development of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) enables scientists located far from a research site to remotely observe and record scientific phenomena otherwise inaccessible to them. Impressed by the many requests he received from students who wanted to learn more about his Titanic expedition, Dr. Ballard began to explore ways to bring the excitement of real scientific discovery into the classroom. In 1989, he established the JASON Foundation for Education, a pioneering organization that uses multimedia tools and cutting-edge technology to engage students in scientific research and expeditions led by leading scientists.
Q: How many students and teachers does JASON reach?
A: The JASON Foundation for Education serves nearly 1.7 million students each year, and is used by approximately 33,000 teachers in the U.S. and abroad.
Q: Is JASON endorsed by any prominent educational organizations?
A: JASON is endorsed by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), and supported by government agencies, such as U.S. Department of Education, NOAA, and NASA, as well as prominent private foundations.
Q: Why is the Foundation called JASON?
A: The JASON Foundation for Education gets its name from the Greek myth of the Argonauts, a group of adventurers who traveled with a hero named Jason to explore the far reaches of the ancient world in a ship called the Argo. Dr. Robert Ballard, founder of the organization and a modern-day “Jason,” gave the Foundation its name when he dreamed of creating an educational program to spark the imaginations of students with real-life science and math. The JASON Foundation taps into the Argonauts' spirit of adventure to engage today's learners in expeditions and discoveries that expand our knowledge of the world in the 21st century. Read more about Jason and the Argonauts.
Q: How can I order JASON for my school district, school, classroom or home?
A: There are two ways to join the JASON learning community. The first is to locate a local JASON network site offering JASON curricula and Expedition materials as well as access to JASON's live, interactive Expedition broadcasts. The second is to purchase JASON materials directly from our online store. JASON materials may be customized to meet the specific needs of schools and districts. For more information about how to include JASON curricula in your school or district, please refer to our page for districts and schools. To learn about homeschooling opportunities, visit our JASON At-Home page.
Q: Does JASON offer professional development for educators? Where do I go to learn about training sessions?
A: Yes, the JASON Academy offers professional development (curriculum and content training) for JASON Expedition programs as well as topic-focused online courses for teachers looking to increase content knowledge in key science and math subject areas. Onsite workshops are available at a variety of locations. The JASON Academy also offers JASON Expedition Summer Institutes, the annual JASON Conference, and online curriculum training. We can also arrange for a JASON trainer to come to your site. Visit the JASON Academy page for more information.
Q: What grade levels are JASON Expeditions and Science and Math Adventures designed to serve?
A: JASON's standards-based Expeditions and Science and Math Adventures curricula are geared to students in Grades 4 through 9, although teachers have used the programs to engage students throughout the elementary and high-school grades.
Q: Do JASON materials align to national model standards and state curriculum requirements?
A: Yes, in most states JASON curricula have been formally aligned to the most recent educational standards. For more information, read “Meeting Standards” on the Teachers' page and “Meeting Standards” in Math, or check the Standards Correlators on the JASON Science page under JASON Expeditions.
Q: Does JASON offer homeschooling opportunities?
A: Yes. Many home-schooled students participate through JASON's extensive At-Home Program.
Q: What are the components of a JASON Expedition curriculum program (formerly the JASON Project)?
A: The Teacher Pack includes an award-winning curriculum aligned with current state standards, video programming, Expedition broadcast, online activities, and professional-development training. (Satellite transmissions for live Expedition broadcasts are typically provided at local JASON network sites.) Visit the JASON Expeditions page for more information.
Q: How often does JASON offer a new Expedition?
A: JASON engages students in a new and exciting Expedition each year. With the help of multimedia tools and cutting-edge technology, students become part of a virtual research community, accompanying real researchers in real time as they explore everything from oceans to rainforests to polar regions and volcanoes. Each JASON Expedition addresses the following three questions:
- What are the Earth's physical systems?
- How do these systems affect life?
- What technologies do we use to study these systems, and why?
Q: Can I obtain materials from previous JASON Expeditions?
A: Yes, some of our past Expeditions are available for purchase. For a list of available materials, click here or call 888-527-6600.
Q: What is the cost to participate?
A: Support from private organizations and government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education, NASA and NOAA enables JASON to offer its innovative educational programs at a modest price. The cost of participation may vary regionally, depending on state subsidies and local grants. For purchasing information, visit our online store.
Q: How many JASON units will I need for my school or classroom?
A: The JASON Teacher Pack licenses a single teacher and unlimited students. Customized JASON program licensing may be provided to entire schools and districts. To order individual Teacher Packs, please visit the online JASON store.
Q: What equipment will I need to participate?
A: The minimum system requirements for participation in the online portion of the program, Team JASON Online, are a Pentium PC running Windows 95 or higher or a MAC Power PC with 16 MB of RAM and 15 MB free hard-drive space; a connection to the Internet; and either Netscape version 4.7 or higher or Internet Explorer version 5.0 or higher. Macromedia Flash, Quicktime, and Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-ins are recommended for the best experience.
The live expedition broadcasts are available via KU Band satellite dish as well as via the National Geographic Channel and streaming video on http://www.eds.com. Regional JASON network sites typically offer access, at their own locations, to the live Expedition broadcasts. Find a JASON local site in your area.
Q: Do I need to have satellite equipment to participate locally?
A: No. Expedition broadcasts are also available via streaming video at http://www.eds.com, the National Geographic Channel, and on many local cable outlets.
Q: Will every student need a classroom/lab computer?
A: No. To allow students to take advantage of all of the online activities available through Team JASON Online (the online portion of the JASON Expedition) teachers may create separate accounts for each of their students. Students may then access their accounts as time and resources allow, working at school, at the public library, at home, or from any computer offering access to the World Wide Web.
Q: Do I need to start using the JASON materials by a certain date?
A: We begin shipping curricula in June for the upcoming school year. You may implement your curriculum at any time during the year. However, we encourage early implementation to allow maximum time and usage in the classroom.
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