Teachers and students join USAFA Cadets for Centennial of Flight Conference

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Oct. 8, 2003) — Hundreds of teachers and thousands of students from across the country are expected to attend the Space Foundation’s first educational conference of its kind, the 2003 Colorado Centennial of Flight Celebration, scheduled Nov. 6-7 at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). USAFA cadets will also participate and assist with breakout sessions. Fresh off the standing-room-only success of their last inaugural event, Strategic Space 2003, the Space Foundation has teamed up with the USAFA and NASA to offer this exciting hands-on educational workshop, and was officially recognized by the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission as the conference host. Guest speaker Erik Lindbergh, grandson of Charles Lindbergh, will present the story of his own journey on the New Spirit of St. Louis with fascinating images and lessons learned during his epic flight. Lindbergh serves as a trustee and vice president of the X PRIZE Foundation, a non-profit organization that stimulates the creation of a new generation of launch vehicles designed to carry passengers into space; a director of the Lindbergh Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering his grandparents’ belief in creating a balance between technological advancement and environmental preservation; and owner of Lindbergh Woodworks. He earned an Aeronautical Science Degree from Emery Aviation College. Centennial of Flight also offers an evening of educator training, followed by an optional day of K-12 student activities and tours. Educator registrants will participate in aeronautics and astronautics laboratory tours, and both teachers and students can attend sessions on “The History of Flight,” “The Amazing Power of Jet Engines,” “Fun with Lift and Drag,” “Flight Simulators and Aircraft Design,” “Glider and Rocket Building,” “The Wright Way,” and tour the USAFA gliders and terrazzo. For Centennial of Flight registration or sponsorship information, call the Space Foundation at 1-800-691-4000. Nearly 150 teachers and more than 1,400 students have already registered to participate. Hurry, space is limited. Registration includes standards-based lesson plans, hands-on inquiry student activities, educational CDs, Centennial of Flight educational posters, decals, stickers, bookmarks, and more. All educators are eligible for scholarships. About the Space Foundation The Colorado Springs-based Space Foundation is a national non-profit organization, which vigorously advances civil, commercial, and national security space endeavors and educational excellence. The Space Foundation contributes to its education mission by hosting an on-site NASA Educational Resource Center; offering two distinct Master’s in Space Studies Degrees in conjunction with the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and Regis University; and training more than 30,000 teachers since 1986 on Teaching With Space through Space Discovery graduate courses and national conferences. The Space Foundation and its partnering organizations annually conduct Space at the Crossroads, next scheduled for Feb. 18, 2004, in Washington, D.C; the National Space Symposium, which takes place March 29 – April 1, 2004, at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs; and Strategic Space 2004, scheduled Oct. 5-7, 2004, in Omaha, Neb. For more information, visit www.spacefoundation.org.