Report from Headquarters
Education Activities Inspire Students and Teachers
Written by: Space Foundation Editorial Team
During the 24th National Space Symposium, several education events inspired students and Space Foundation Teacher Liaisons.
The week started with Teacher Liaisons attending the opening ceremony on Monday evening featuring music by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, followed by a reception in the Lockheed Martin Exhibit Center and lakeside fireworks at The Broadmoor Hotel.
On Tuesday, the day began with a recognition ceremony for the new flight of Teacher Liaisons followed by state-of-the-art curriculum and hands-on activities for Teacher Liaisons to take back to their classrooms. The featured morning speaker was Dr. Tim Slater, endowed professor of science education at the University of Wyoming. Slater discussed how to integrate various space topics into the curriculum. For the remainder of the day the Teacher Liaisons were engaged in workshops and activities instructed by this year's Teacher Liaison sponsor, the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, led by Dr. Jim Lochner. The day concluded with inspirational remarks by former space shuttle commander and retired Air Force Colonel Eileen Collins.
The new flight of Teacher Liaisons also brought their students to the National Space Symposium on Wednesday for two different programs co-sponsored by Analytical Graphics, Inc. and NASA. Students and teachers from 6th -12th grades toured the Lockheed Martin Exhibit Center and engaged with representatives from various companies across the space industry. Third to fifth grade students and teachers attended "Audience with an Astronaut" featuring shuttle commander Cretired Navy Captain Jeff Ashby. Ashby entertained students with images and video from his missions, and a brief description of the future of space exploration. He encouraged students to follow their dreams and become a part of this endeavor, then posed with each class for a photo. The teachers concluded this event with follow-up activities in their classrooms provided by the Space Foundation education team.
On Thursday, 20 companies and universities participated in the Space Career Fair held by the Space Foundation in conjunction with the 24th National Space Symposium. College students, aerospace professionals, and transitioning military personnel learned about companies through the "Meet the Company" presentations. Participants also attended a networking lunch, which included an inspiring keynote address by three-time shuttle astronaut and former NASA Deputy Administrator, Fred Gregory. During the afternoon, attendees distributed resumes and visited with the human resource departments of participating companies.
The action-filled week concluded on Friday, with a tour of the United Launch Alliance Final Assembly Building in Littleton, Colo., followed by professional development activities at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science for a select group of Teacher Liaisons.
This article is part of Space Watch: May 2008 (Volume: 7, Issue: 5).