Boeing Sponsors Educators Trip To Space Camp

A total of eleven educators from Chicago museums, science centers and public schools have been selected to attend the 2010 Boeing Educators to Space Camp program held July 12-16 in Huntsville, AL. The group will join more than 100 educators from around the world as part of a weeklong training adventure designed to help teachers motivate students in the subjects of science, math and technology.

The educators representing Chicago this year are: Kathy Eggert from Prescott School; Rebecca Fligelman from Talcott Fine Arts and Museum Academy; Misty Richmond from Agustin Lara Academy; Cynthia Sanchez from Little Village Academy; Angela Sims from Tarkington School of Excellence; Heidi Schmitt from the Adler Planetarium; Elaine Bentley and Darrell Jones from Chicago Children's Museum; and Bridget Basta, Nicole Kowrach and Bryan Wunar from the Museum of Science and Industry.

The Boeing Educators to Space Camp program uses information on current space exploration initiatives to enhance teachers' skills in presenting science, math and technology lessons that will inspire students and help ensure a skilled work force for a globally competitive technology market.

During the course, the group will participate in activities such as simulated space missions, astronaut training, and lectures by rocketry and space exploration experts. The group of teachers also will receive classroom resources to help their students meet national standards.

"I'm a science nut and remember what a thrill it was when we first walked on the moon," explained Kathy Eggert, who teaches science to fifth through eighth graders at Prescott, a Chicago public school. "The students were very excited to hear that I was picked to go to Space Camp. I look forward to sharing my experiences and getting them more engaged in space and science."

Darrell Jones also has had a lifelong fascination with space and hopes his experiences at Space Camp will help him share this excitement with the primary school teachers he works with at Chicago Children's Museum. "I'm really looking forward to collaborating and brainstorming with the leaders and other educators at Space Camp, and to experiencing new approaches and new ideas that I can incorporate into my professional development work for the museum," Jones said. He added that he plans to write about his camp experiences through a blog on the museum's website.

Since 1992, more than 800 teachers have participated in Boeing's annual program, which is estimated to have reached more than 30,000 students around the world.

The program provides full scholarships to teachers in communities where Boeing has education partnerships and/or a business presence. Working with educational institutions and community leaders around the world, Boeing distributes scholarships to partner schools and districts, which then select K-12 teachers who demonstrate exceptional commitment to increasing student interest in science, math and technology.

After graduating from Space Camp, each teacher will return home with a lesson-plan workbook and materials to use in the classroom. The graduates also will have access to an online educator training facility and a website with science experiments and other class activities, as well as resources to help them continue to network and communicate with their fellow camp attendees. The group also will meet with Boeing representatives to discuss creative ways to work their experiences at Space Camp into their educational lessons and presentations.

FMI: www.boeing.com