Apply Now: Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award Recognizes Educators Who Use Technology to Inspire Students

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 18, 2010) — Educators who have demonstrated a commitment to inspiring students’ interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) may apply now to receive the 2011 Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award. Given annually by the Astronauts Memorial Foundation (AMF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Space Foundation, the award recognizes outstanding contributions to technology education by K-12 educators or district-level education personnel. The Space Foundation will present the award, which is named after Mercury Astronaut Alan Shepard, on April 11 at the Opening Ceremony of the Space Foundation’s 27th National Space Symposium at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Application information is available at www.astronautsmemorialfoundation.org. Submissions for the 2011 award must be postmarked no later than January 15, 2011. The winner will be announced on March 4, 2011.

About the Award
Alan Shepard, one of the nation’s original seven Mercury astronauts, was the first American to fly in space, one of only 12 humans who have walked on the moon and a former AMF board member. The award named after him recognizes excellence, quality and innovation in the development and application of technology in the classroom or to the professional development of teachers.

Allen V. Robnett, a science teacher at Gallatin High School in Gallatin, Tenn., was named the 2010 recipient for his work developing two innovative high-school-level courses that used compelling subjects and hands-on experiences to motivate students to build their science, math and technology skills. His Astronomy and Space Exploration class features an in-school planetarium and a rooftop observatory, and his Aviation Theory and Practice class provides actual textbook and simulator pilot training.

About the 27th National Space Symposium
The 27th National Space Symposium, the premier gathering of the global space community, will be held April 11-14, 2011, at The Broadmoor Hotel, and will offer workshops, forums, panels, and presentations covering all aspects of space, including programs targeted specifically at educators and students. The Opening Ceremony will feature presentation of the Shepard Award as well as the Space Foundation’s Space Achievement Award and John L. “Jack” Swigert, Jr., Award for Space Exploration.

About the Space Foundation
The Space Foundation is an international, nonprofit organization and the foremost advocate for all sectors of the space industry – civil, commercial, military and intelligence. Founded in 1983, the Space Foundation is a leader in space awareness activities, educational programs that bring space into the classroom, and major industry events, including the National Space Symposium, all in support of its mission “to advance space-related endeavors to inspire, enable, and propel humanity.” An expert in all aspects of the global space industry, the Space Foundation publishes The Space Report: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity and provides three indices that track daily performance of the space industry. Through its Space Certification and Space Technology Hall of Fame® programs, the Space Foundation recognizes space-based technologies and innovations that have been adapted to improve life on Earth. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, the Space Foundation conducts research and analysis and government affairs activities from its Washington, D.C., office and has field representatives in Houston, Texas, and Cape Canaveral, Fla. For more information, visit www.SpaceFoundation.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and read about the latest space news and Space Foundation activities in Space Watch.

About the Astronauts Memorial Foundation
Founded in the wake of the Challenger accident in 1986, AMF honors and memorializes 24 astronauts who sacrificed their lives for the nation and the space program while on a U.S. government mission or in training. AMF is a private, not-for-profit organization approved by NASA to build and maintain two major facilities at the John F. Kennedy Space Center’s Visitor Complex: The Space Mirror Memorial and The Center for Space Education. Through the Center for Space Education, AMF partners with the NASA to provide space-related technology training to educators and individuals throughout the nation, to foster understanding of space exploration, to improve education through technology, and to improve the quality of the space industry workforce. For more information, visit www.astronautsmemorialfoundation.org/.

About NASA
NASA is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation’s civilian space program. Operational since 1958, NASA’s mission is to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research. It has led U.S. space exploration including the Mercury and Gemini space programs, the Apollo missions to the Moon, the Space Shuttle, U.S. involvement in the International Space Station, the Hubble Telescope and robotic interplanetary and distant space missions. NASA is also responsible for long-term civilian and military aerospace research and research focused on better understanding Earth, the solar systems and the universe beyond. For more information, go to www.nasa.gov.

Pictured:  Allen V. Robnett, a science teacher at Gallatin High School in Gallatin, Tenn., winner of the 2010 Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award, accepts his award at the 26th National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo.