Education
Bringing STEAM to Charles County, Md.
Written by: developer
For the tenth consecutive year, the Space Foundation education team will travel to Charles County, Md., in August to deliver Space Across the Curriculum educator professional development courses for Charles County Public Schools (CCPS).
This year’s training will add a new Space Across the Curriculum course, with instruction for integrating the arts into STEM education. The course will focus on helping teachers integrate science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) across the curriculum with hands-on classroom activities that meet education standards.
Two courses will be held, simultaneously. Twenty-four Charles County educators are enrolled in the new STEAM integration course. Participants will learn how to integrate things like iPads, 3D printing and robotics into their curriculum. In addition, 18 teachers will be participating in the Space Foundation’s course “Lunar/Mars Exploration and Base Construction.” The course shows educators how to teach all science concepts and standards in one hands-on project. Participants learn what it will take to establish and maintain a human presence on the Moon and on Mars with advanced life support concepts, such as growing food, oxygen and energy production, waste removal and recycling and surface exploration. The final project is designing and building a model of a theoretically functioning Lunar/Mars base that can technically sustain and house astronauts for exploration.
Another new addition to the Charles County trip this year will be incorporation of the Space Foundation’s new Space in the Community program, featuring an Audience with an Astronaut™ presentation for the public. The goal is to interest young students in pursuing STEM-related careers by building partnerships in a community, and laying a foundation to support the workforce pipeline for economic development.
Learn more about Space Foundation education programs here, and Space in the Community here.
This article is part of Space Watch: August 2016 (Volume: 15, Issue: 8).
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