JSC Orientation Home

Employee Development

Academic/Tuition Assistance
Career Training & Development/Career Counseling
Supporting your learning and development needs to enhance your performance and improve organizational effectiveness is the foundation of our service.

Members of the HR Development staff are available to help you:
- DEVELOP the knowledge, skills and competencies to perform effectively in your current position
- PREPARE to assume new or different responsibilities, either in your current position or to meet future goals
- ENGAGE in a continuous process of examining and addressing issues which affect organizational effectiveness
- FORGE partnerships with other directorates to improve organizational effectiveness
Co-op Program (Undergraduates and Graduates)
Mentoring/Coaching
In response to the President's Management Agenda and NASA's Strategic Human Capital Plan, the JSC Mentoring Program provides employees with a development tool to more effectively incorporate knowledge sharing in our day-to-day activities. The ultimate goal is to build a highly capable workforce that meets Center and participant objectives.

Mentoring links a mentor with a protégé and helps facilitate personal and professional growth by sharing the knowledge and insights learned through the years. Mentoring is a strategy for comprehensive growth and development and, in its truest form, a reciprocal relationship. Both members have a chance to learn, gain a new perspective on the work environment, stretch beyond comfortable boundaries, and meet other people across the Center.

Mentoring gives experienced employees, who are well established in their careers, the opportunity to share their personal experience, offer guidance and feedback, initiate employees into JSC's dynamic environment, and help experienced employees reshape their careers. It also provides a "reverse mentoring" opportunity in which the protégé can share thoughts and views acquired through schooling, within organizations, or experience outside of JSC. The protégés will be able to reinforce or reshape the foundation on which they are building their careers by creating an important relationship - one that helps them mold, define, and pursue their goals.

The Mentoring Program is open to all permanent JSC civil servant and military employees in Houston and White Sands Test Facility.
Student Programs
Student Employment Programs provide university and high school students with "real-life" hands-on work experiences that allow students to confirm their career choices while helping NASA train and develop its future workforce.

Health Services

Blood Drives
Since 1978, the Johnson Space Center has participated in blood drives sponsored by St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital. Six blood drives are held each year at several locations on-site. Employees can donate during work hours without charge to leave. Information on the blood drive can be found at http://jscpeople.jsc.nasa.gov/blooddrv/blooddrv.htm

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
The EAP is a resource that offers confidential evaluation, counseling, education, and referral services to JSC employees, on-site contractors and their families. These services are free of charge.

The objective of the EAP program is to provide assistance to those who are experiencing personal problems that may be affecting job performance or overall sense of well being. These problems may range from depression, anxiety, job stress, family/marital discord, and other emotional issues to alcohol abuse or other chemical dependencies. The EAP staff can also provide information on obtaining community services such as elder care, parenting classes, hospice care, HIV/Aids treatment, financial assistance, and legal counsel.

Health Benefits Program
The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) provides you with protection against the expenses of illness and accidental injuries. The FEHBP provides some of the following benefits:

Guaranteed medical insurance protection for you and your family,
Major catastrophic illness protection,
Coverage without medical examination, without waiting periods, and without restrictions because of your age or physical condition (preexisting conditions are covered; for example, pregnancy),
Premium-sharing to reduce your cost of the plan,
Continued protection after you retire, and
A choice of plans to provide the protection you need and want.

Health and Safety Training Programs
Various Health and Safety Training courses are available to both civil servant and contractor employees, such as CPR, First Aid, Hazard Communication, and Workplace Ergonomics.

Physical Fitness Programs
We support the health and well-being of JSC employees with our facilities at the Gilruth Center, including: two gymnasiums, a weight room, locker rooms, softball fields, a soccer field and two jogging trails.

Routine and Emergency Medical Services
Sports & Exercise Club

Gilruth Center
Located just outside the JSC gates, the Gilruth Center offers 2 gymnasiums, a weight room, locker rooms, softball fields, a soccer field and two jogging trails. Gilruth also offers a number of fitness and recreational activities including:

Group exercise classes
Health Related Fitness Program
Ballroom/Salsa Dancing
Tae-Kwon-Do
Sports Leagues

JSC Environment

Accommodation/Accessibility

Web Content Accessibility
JSC follows strict web content accessibility guidelines to communicate information about NASA science and technology to the broadest possible audience, including persons with disabilities. We continuously check our HTML pages to maintain compliance with accepted guidelines for compatibility with assistive technology. These guidelines also make Web content more available to all users, whatever user agent they are using (e.g., desktop browser, voice browser, mobile phone, automobile-based personal computer, etc.) or constraints they may be operating under (e.g., noisy surroundings, under- or over-illuminated rooms, in a hands-free environment, etc).

Accommodations
NASA's policy is to fully comply with the reasonable accommodation requirements of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Under the law, Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to qualified employees or applicants with disabilities, unless to do so would cause undue hardship. NASA is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to its employees and applicants for employment in order to assure that individuals with disabilities have full access to equal employment opportunity. These requirements cover applicants for, and employees in part-time and full time positions. These requirements also apply to NASA interns, fellows, coops, visiting scientists and detailees that are not in a civil service status. NASA provides reasonable accommodations:

a. when a qualified applicant with a disability needs an accommodation in order to be considered for a job.

b. when a qualified employee with a disability needs an accommodation to enable him or her to perform the essential functions of the job or to gain access to the workplace.

c. when a qualified employee with a disability needs an accommodation to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment.

NASA will process requests for reasonable accommodation and, where appropriate, provide reasonable accommodation in a prompt, fair, and efficient manner.

For more information on Federal Employment of People with Disabilities, visit the OPM web site http://www.opm.gov/disability/appempl.asp

ATM's
For you convenience, JSC offers three on-site ATM’s located in Buildings 1, 3, and 11.

Cafeterias, Snack Bars, & Vending Machines

Starport Café
JSC has two cafeterias available to you onsite, Building 11 and Building 3, which offer a fresh, healthy and wide-ranging menu. The cafeterias offer daily specials as well as Total Health reduced calorie and low fat meals. In addition a salad line, sandwiches, soups, sodas, ice cream, and frozen yogurt are also available at a moderate cost. If you can't get to the cafe, on-site delivery is also available, as well as catering for special events.

Starport Café Hours of Operation:
Breakfast: 7:00a.m. - 9:30a.m
Lunch: 11:00a.m. - 1:30p.m.

Snack bars are located on first floor of Buildings 1 and 4 South. Many buildings are also equipped with vending machines.

Book Fairs

Credit Union
For over 40 years, JSC Federal Credit Union has grown to be one of the largest credit unions in Houston, serving 65,000 members in the Greater Clear Lake and Galveston area.

Day Care Center
On-site day care is available for children 6 weeks to 6 years of age.

Discount Tickets
Discount Tickets are available for various area events through the Starport Gift Shop.

Gilruth Fitness Facilities
The Gilruth Center is a large recreation and meeting center located in a wooded area on JSC’s northern boundary. The center is funded through non appropriated funds from user fees and Employee Exchange profits. A weight room, tennis courts, basketball courts, jogging trails, and picnic areas are available for your use. Team sports such as volleyball, softball, and baseball are also available. For a minimal fee, the facility offers a variety of classes including group exercise, weight training, aerobics, ballroom and country western dance, self-defense, and defensive driving. Employees may obtain an Employee Activities Association (EAA) membership card for spouse/dependent use.

Scientific and Technical Library
JSC provides scientific and technical information gathered and recorded by NASA Headquarters, all NASA field installations, and contractors. The library is open to all JSC employees for reference work and for circulation of materials. It is located in the one-story wing on the first floor of Building 45. The hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Starport Gift Shops
Adjacent to each Starport Café are the Starport Gift Shops which offer space-themed gifts or souvenirs. In addition to high-quality gifts, the Starport Gift Shop offers greeting cards, gift wrap, postage stamps, floral arrangements and tickets to local events. They also print business cards, process photos, and arrange and deliver balloon bouquets to on-site addresses. Profits from the exchange store are used to fund the Gilruth Center and other employee activities.

Jogging Trails

Community Involvement

Community Outreach

Public Engagement
JSC has participated in a number of Houston events such as the Super Bowl, Major League Baseball All-Star game, NBA All-Star Game, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and a number of technical conferences. JSC supports many events big and small throughout the region.

Exhibits
Exhibits focusing on NASA and JSC are available to organizations such as schools, sciences centers, and other venues that reach general audiences through the traveling exhibits program. These exhibits can be seen at local events such as the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and other events nationwide. JSC personnel can also borrow small exhibits and models for volunteer outreach activities. Spaceflight artifacts and models are often part of exhibits, and can also be useful tools for presentations. For more information, please visit: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/programs/exhibits/index.html.

Speakers Bureau Program
This program allows JSC employees to share their passion for the space program with the community. Employees from all areas of JSC are encouraged to volunteer and share their knowledge. The Speakers' Bureau also recruits volunteer staff for events such as the Houston Livestock and Rodeo and the Texas State Fair.

Want to get involved? For more information, please visit: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/programs/speakersbureau.html.

Community and Industry Liaison
JSC’s Community and Government Relations Office paves the way for information exchanges, technology transfers, and important partnerships by identifying and coordinating with external organizations or companies that share NASA/JSC goals.

JSC Education Outreach
The JSC Education Outreach Program provides teachers within a 50-mile radius of JSC with the tools to reach and inspire their students. The program seeks to capture young people’s interest in science, engineering, mathematics and technology. Over 200 JSC employees volunteer to share their knowledge and experience with teachers and students. Volunteers participate in various outreach opportunities including lecturing or performing hands-on activities in the classroom, career shadowing, tutoring, mentoring and judging at science fairs. JSC also strongly supports the National Engineers Week and the Reading Tutors Project.

Blood Drives
Since 1978, the Johnson Space Center has participated in blood drives sponsored by St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital. Six blood drives are held each year at several locations on-site. Employees can donate during work hours without charge to leave. Information on the blood drive can be found at http://jscpeople.jsc.nasa.gov/blooddrv/blooddrv.htm

JSC Combined Federal Campaign
The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) is the annual fund-raising drive conducted by Federal employees in their workplace each fall. Each year Federal employees and military personnel raise millions of dollars through the CFC that benefits thousands of non-profit charities.

JSC Open House
Once a year, Johnson Space Center employees open the doors of NASA's laboratories, training facilities and Mission Control Center and offer the Houston community a behind the scenes look of the nation's space program.

This is an opportunity for the public to get a close-up look at the space program's activities and operations. Throughout the day, astronauts, engineers and scientists give presentations highlighting JSC's achievements.

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