The ACCESS Program strives to help address a national need to make space science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education interesting, accessible, tangible and retainable. The ACCESS Program hands-on project approach improves student retention of STEM concepts applied throughout the program – as effectively conveyed in the Chinese proverb: “Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.

The ACCESS Program offers a unique hands-on space experiment flight program. The ACCESS Program involves two distinct payload allotments - ACCESS Inspirational payloads are for K-12 student team designed payloads and ACCESS Research payloads are designed for U.S. university state-of-the-art research and development payloads. In addition, the ACCESS for Education Program includes K-12 and university educational outreach related to space science and engineering. The educational outreach activities include: the development of on-line grade-level appropriate space-themed lesson plans, inquiry-based activities, videos, and an on-line bulletin board; K-12 presentations for classrooms, workshops, science fairs, and seminars; and university level workshops and seminars.