KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Christine Nixon (left), principal of Warrington Middle School in Pensacola, Fla., is presented a banner recognizing the school’s new partnership with NASA as a NASA Explorer School. At far right is NASA official Gregg Buckingham, who was joined by Center Director Jim Kennedy and astronaut Alan Poindexter for this kickoff event at the school. Kennedy is visiting the school to share the vision for space exploration with the next generation. He is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space. NES establishes a three-year partnership annually between NASA and 50 NASA Explorer School teams, consisting of teachers and education administrators from diverse communities nationwide.