Schools
Garwood Teacher Heads To Space Camp To Get Students Excited About STEM
Honeywell's Space Academy mission is to show teachers how to offer an out-of-this-world lesson plan.
GARWOOD, NJ — Garwood teacher Denise Cafiero was selected from educators around the world to attend the 2017 Honeywell Educators Space Academy this past June.
The space camp was held at the United States Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) in Huntsville, Alabama and those selected participated in 45 hours of classroom and laboratory instruction focused on science, space exploration and leadership skills development.
Activities included:
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- A high-performance jet simulation
- Rocketry and a new coding mission to launch them
- Scenario-based space mission
- Land and water survival training
- Interactive flight dynamics programs
“It was amazing!” Cafiero told Patch. “It was great to meet teachers who share the same passion for teaching as I do.”
The Space Academy looks to address the low interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
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Only 16 percent of high school seniors are interested in pursuing STEM, according to the Department of Education, yet the National Science Foundation states 80 percent of available jobs in the next several years will require some math and science skills.
The academy offers teachers the opportunity to learn new ways to bring STEM to the classroom next fall.
Cafiero said her experience allowed her to become a student again. One of her favorite experiences was in an electronics workshop.
“It was a hands-on project where I had to use a soldering iron to create two working LED lights and mine actually turned on!” Cafiero said. “I was so excited when it did, I want my students to have that same feeling. The experience really turned me back into a student and reminded me what it was like to be a student again.”
Cafiero plans to use what she learned at the academy in her lesson plans this coming fall and encourages other teachers to take part on this program.
“It was the most amazing experience I’ve ever had,” Cafiero said. “They opened a new world for me and I loved it.”
(Images via Denise Cafiero)
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