Two local Brevard County area school teachers have been selected to attend the 2011 Boeing Educators to Space Camp program held July 18-22 in Huntsville, Ala. The teachers will be part of a group of more than 90 educators from 11 countries taking part in a weeklong training adventure designed to help them motivate their students in the subjects of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
The teachers representing Brevard County this year are: Dana Franklin and Melinda McMaster. Franklin and McMaster teach at Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Merritt Island, Fla.
This year’s group of teachers represents 10 countries, 16 states, and the District of Columbia. Since 1992, more than 800 teachers have participated in Boeing’s annual program, which is estimated to have reached more than 400,000 students around the world.
The Boeing Educators to Space Camp program uses information on current space exploration initiatives to enhance teachers’ skills in presenting STEM lessons in a way that will inspire students and help ensure a skilled workforce for a globally competitive technology market. The group will participate in activities such as simulated space missions, astronaut training, and lectures by rocketry and space exploration experts.
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 the teachers who demonstrate exceptional commitment to increasing student interest in STEM.
After graduating from Space Camp, each teacher returns home with a lesson-plan workbook and materials to use in the classroom. The graduates also have access to online training 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.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world’s largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32 billion business with 65,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.
