It's A Bit Like Getting A Chance To Visit The Moon

For the third year in a row, The Northrop Grumman Foundation is partnering with Zero-G to send science and math teachers to the moon [after a fashion, ed.] as part of its Weightless Flights of Discovery Program.  The flights take educators up nearly 30,000 feet where they run flight patterns that create weightlessness within the aircraft, giving teachers an idea of what it is like to fly and float on Mars, the moon and in zero gravity. 

In much the same way the famed Apollo 11 mission inspired a generation 40 years ago, the goal of the Northrop Grumman Foundation's Weightless Flights of Discovery program is to spur excitement and interest in young people through the experiences of their teachers, with the hope they will pursue careers in the STEM areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 

These are the disciplines that will fill highly anticipated jobs and industry needs tomorrow, much like the critical roles many played in contributing to NASA's Apollo 11 mission. Those contributions would not have been possible were it not for the ingenuity and talents of the teams involved at the time.

A total of 130 middle school teachers will be participating in this year's Northrop Grumman Foundation weightless flights, which kick off with a series of preparatory workshops on August 1, followed by the flights scheduled between September 22 and October 2 in Albuquerque, NM, Detroit, MI, Norwalk, CT, and Washington, D.C.

Studies show the U.S. is experiencing a shortage of college graduates in the STEM disciplines, a negative trend that could be a problem for the nation's industries dependant on talented scientists and mathematicians.

Because studies have indicated most children make the decision to pursue math and science education and careers during middle school, Northrop Grumman developed the Weightless Flights of Discovery to engage teachers, key influencers in the lives of students during these crucial years.

FMI: www.northropgrumman.com