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.
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