The Iowa Space Grant Consortium (ISGC) has announced its partner schools for the 2018 ISGC Academy. ISGC is working with 18 Iowa educators during a NASA workshop at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, on Feb. 8-9, 2018.
During the workshop, the Iowa teachers will tour the space center, interact with NASA scientists and education specialists and participate in educational workshops.
ISGC partner teachers will work with former NASA Astronaut Robert L. Stewart at the workshop. Brigadier General Stewart completed two missions to space from 1984-1985. The workshop will also allow the teachers to interact with other Marshall Space Flight Center engineers, scientists and educators during the workshop to see STEM in action.
After attending, ISGC partner teachers will integrate what they learned into their own curriculum and provide professional development sessions to their colleagues.
“ISGC Academy is an exciting professional development opportunity that links STEM with the NASA mission and enables teachers to bring their experiences back to their classrooms, schools and colleagues,” said Jay Staker, associate director of the Iowa Space Grant. “It’s an energizing, inspirational and a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Eighteen educators from five Iowa K-12 schools and three universities will attend the workshop. Nine participants are public school teachers, five are preservice university students, one is from 4-H education, and three are university STEM faculty or staff.
- Sharon Jaeschke and Devan Walker, STEM teachers – Southeast Valley High School, Gowrie
- Shelly Nash and Jamie Bratvold, STEM teachers – Sioux City West High School
- Robert Welter and Amanda Johnson, STEM teachers – Holmes Junior High, Cedar Falls
- Alice Fuglsang and Melissa Gress , STEM teachers – Indian Hills Junior High, West Des Moines
- Terry Putnam, STEM teacher – Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn, Sanborn
- Beth Bunkers, Iowa 4-H program assistant – O’Brien County ISU Extension and Outreach, Primghar
- Mackenzie Klima, preservice educator – Iowa State University
- Patricia Bordonaro, preservice educator – University of Iowa
- Shea Brown, faculty – University of Iowa
- Haley Osborn and Mallory Wills, preservice educators – University of Northern Iowa
- Gretta Berghammer and Mark Parrott, faculty – University of Northern Iowa
- Marcy Seavey, STEM@UNI coordinator – University of Northern Iowa
A part of NASA’s National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program since 1990, the ISGC continually strives to improve and inspire Iowa’s future in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). The ISGC supports aerospace research, education, and outreach activities for all Iowans through five program categories: internships, fellowships, scholarships; higher education; research infrastructure; precollege; and informal education.