Deadline Approaching for Shepard Award Nominations

Educators who have demonstrated a commitment to inspiring students’ interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) may apply now to receive the 2014 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. Open to all K-12 school- and district-level educators across the U.S., the Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award recognizes excellence in the development and delivery of technology programs, with priority given to programs that focus on aerospace and/or aeronautics.

The nominations must demonstrate how the program ultimately benefits students in a school or district. A school-level candidate must be nominated by his/her school principal and a district-level nominee must be nominated by his/her superintendent or associate superintendent.

The Space Foundation will present the award, which is named after Mercury Astronaut Alan Shepard, on May 19, 2014, at the opening ceremony of the Space Foundation’s 30th Space Symposium at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo. Award information and application instructions are available at www.amfcse.org.

Submissions for the 2014 award must be mailed and postmarked no later than Feb. 3, 2014. The winner will be announced in March 2014.

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

To read more about the award and past recipients, click here.

Recipients
2013 Daniel R. Newmyer
2012 Dr. Cynthia D. Waters
2011 James E. Richmond
2010 Allen V. Robnett
2009 Ricardo V. Soria
2008 Kevin L. Simmons
2007 Luther W. Richardson
2006 Kathy R. Brandon
2005 Ronald F. Dantowitz
2004 Charles Geach
2003 Brian Copes
2002 Thomas F. Hunt, Frank E. Waller
2001 Lori Byrne

About the 30th Space Symposium
For its 30th year, the Space Foundation’s annual Space Symposium will be held in a later timeframe than usual, from May 19-22, and will offer workshops, forums, panels and presentations covering all aspects of space, including programs targeted specifically for educators and students. See more at www.spacesymposium.org.

Pictured, above right: 2013 recipient Daniel R. Newmyer, a science and math teacher for Center High School in rural southern Colorado,  is congratulated by Space Foundation CEO Elliot Pulham during the opening ceremony of the 29th National Space Symposium.

This article is part of Space Watch: January 2014 (Volume: 13, Issue: 1).