NASA Astronaut Ricky Arnold (photo courtesy of NASA) NASA Astronaut Ricky Arnold will be our special guest at Out of This World Water Day -- a collection of water education events for people of all ages -- to be held in Maryland this March 22nd, World Water Day.

Maryland native Ricky Arnold, who also serves as a volunteer Board member for Project WET, was Flight Engineer on the International Space Station (ISS), returning to Earth in October 2018 after 197 days in space. He has lived and worked not only on ISS but also  in the world’s only undersea laboratory and on the Space Shuttle Discovery.  He has conducted 5 spacewalks and totaled 209 days in space on two flights. Before joining NASA in 2004, Ricky taught science. On ISS, he co-led the Year of Education on Station, sharing his love of STEM and passion for teaching. 

Ricky will kick off the day with a presentation for third through fifth graders at Glenallen Elementary School. Students will then walk to nearby Brookside Gardens to take part in a Make A Splash Water Festival, hosted by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. At the water festival, students will visit interactive learning stations led by experienced Project WET Maryland educators.

Following the festival, Ricky will give the keynote address for an afternoon event, the Water, Space and STEM Education Symposium and Training. Designed for educators, elected officials, NGO and government agency representatives and corporate sustainability leaders, the afternoon session will also include hands-on, interactive water education activities and a panel discussion on how to use space exporation and water education to inspire innovative STEM education. Participation in the Water, Space and STEM Education Symposium and Training free but by invitation only, and space is limited. Sponsorship opportunities for Out of This World Water Day are available. Please contact Project WET to request an invitation or to learn more about sponsorships.