AMES, IA -- St. Joseph School in Des Moines has recently been selected to become an Iowa Space Grant Consortium (ISGC) partner school, providing teachers with new opportunities in space science education.
Taking a new outlook on science teacher education in Iowa, the ISGC decided to try a new approach in 2004 by sending teachers to space centers throughout the United States in an effort to improve science education in Iowa. The new initiative, now in its second year, is in partnership with Space Education Initiatives, a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to engaging students in science, math and technology by using the excitement of space exploration.
Jennifer Simmons, fifth through eighth grade science teacher, and Kendra Szymoniak, fifth through eighth grade mathematics teacher, were awarded with a trip to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Jan. 20-22. Simmons and Szymoniak, along with Jay Staker, ISGC associate director, will spend three days touring the center's various facilities and meeting with astronauts and aerospace professionals to get first-hand experience they can take back to the classroom. Andrew Chaikin, author of A Man on the Moon, will also lead participants on an historical journey through Cape Canaveral.
"The workshops provide educators with the opportunity to bring back practical applications to their classrooms," Staker said. "We hope this will allow them to make connections between space science and school curriculum in order to enhance their instruction.
Simmons and Szymoniak are hopeful their visit to Florida will help them provide more opportunities for their students to interact with professionals from the mathematical and scientific fields. They also plan to offer online opportunities to encourage and allow students to infuse themselves with in-depth exploration of space issues.
After returning from Cape Canaveral, the pair is plans to lead professional development workshops for St. Joseph faculty. On top of that, they hope to work with all schools in the Des Moines Diocese to be a resource on space education.
The ISGC is part of the NASA National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program and was formed in 1990. The consortium includes Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, the University of Northern Iowa and Drake University. In addition the ISGC has a partnership with ISU Extension through the Iowa 4-H Youth Development E-SET program.
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