Report from Headquarters
Horace Mann Funds Teacher Scholarship
Written by: developer
Horace Mann Insurance initiated a new scholarship this year, selecting one educator within Colorado Springs School District 11 to receive a free professional development course through the Space Foundation Space Across the Curriculum program. The winner is Jo Ann Davis, mathematics coach at North Middle School. Davis will attend the Space Foundation rocketry class, to be held the week of June 20 at the Space Foundation Discovery Institute in Colorado Springs.
“This is my first Space Across the Curriculum class and I’m very excited,” said Davis.
About Horace Mann
Horace Mann is the largest national multiline insurance company focusing on educators’ financial needs. More information is available at https://agents.horacemann.com/DennisJordan.
About Space Across the Curriculum
The Space Foundation’s Space Across the Curriculum courses help educators learn how to use space themes in the classroom to improve their students’ science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) interest and skills. These full-day week-long classes include activities that can be adapted to various grade levels, are experiential, hands-on and immediately transferable to the classroom.
The summer program begins with two Space Across the Curriculum classes starting the week of June 13:
June 13 – 17 PreK-2 Early Childhood Space Exploration
Centered on space and science education for early learners, the Space Foundation’s PreK-2 course is designed to provide Early Childhood educators the necessary tools to inspire eager young minds through inquiry-based learning and hands-on activities.
June 13 – 17 Earth Systems Science: Planetary Geology
This course helps educators discover the fascinating processes that form and shape Earth and the other terrestrial planets. Through a variety of guided tours, lesson plans and knowledgeable instructors, educators will gather a better prospective of their planet and how it functions.
Other course offerings this summer include:
June 20 – 24 Rocketry: Space History
Rockets are an effective way to teach students the fundamental processes of propulsion, Newton’s Laws of Motion and the physics of space travel. The building and construction of a variety of rockets enables educators an experiential approach to teaching an overview of various rocket propulsion concepts.
July 11 – 15 Astronomy Principles for the Classroom: Exploring our Universe and the Search for Life
Participants will examine the many fascinating aspects of astronomy as it relates to astrobiology and the development of life on Earth, as well as the possible existence of life elsewhere in the universe. The Miller-Urey process and the Drake equation will be explained and investigated as possible theories of how these organisms could exist on other worlds such as Mars, Europa, Enceladus and Titan. The class includes an investigation of extremophile organisms by conducting fieldwork at Cave of the Winds, and an evening stargazing and learning to use a planisphere.
July 18 – 22 Space Technologies in the Classroom: Nanotechnology and Space Spin-Offs
This course will examine the numerous uses of space technologies in our society for the benefit of humankind. Educators will discover the practical applications of orbital mechanics as they explore the everyday uses of satellites. Through field trips and hands-on demonstrations, educators will receive an introduction to space transportation and design, robotics, communications, space power and space structures. Participants will build and explore a variety of space technologies, including constructing their own programmable robots.
Additional scholarships are available this summer.
Free Class for Pueblo-Area Educators
The Space Foundation is also offering a free professional development class just for Pueblo-area educators on the Colorado State University – Pueblo campus, June 27 – July 1. The course is open to Pre-K-12 educators and is accredited through CSU – Pueblo Continuing Education Credit, or as part of CSU-Pueblo’s new degree program, Master of Education with an emphasis in Space Studies. To sign up for the class, contact the Space Foundation at [email protected].
Pictured: (from left) Judy Hawkins, principal of North Middle School; Jo Ann Davis, mathematics coach at North Middle School; Dennis Jordan, of Horace Mann; and Bryan DeBates, director of education for the Space Foundation.
This article is part of Space Watch: June 2011 (Volume: 10, Issue: 6).