Embry-Riddle Gets Money for Resource Center
Test, August 14, 2009
Embry-Riddle Gets $200K for Resource Center
From the Daily Courier
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
On the first stop of her month-long "Working for You" tour, Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick announced the U.S. House of Representatives approved $200,000 for the NASA Educator Resource Center at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Stopping at Embry-Riddle Monday afternoon, Kirkpatrick said the appropriation passed through Congress, and that she would be talking to Arizona's senators to garner their support for the program.
Kirkpatrick said the money helps educate K-12 teachers about the "resources available in math and science. We want to reclaim our position in leading the world in math and science, through NASA."
NASA ERC Director Stacy DeVeau said the $200,000 federal money supports S.T.E.M. education - science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
DeVeau said the ERC at Embry-Riddle is the only NASA resource center in Arizona.
"The ERC is the NASA link for educators throughout Arizona," DeVeau said.
The federal money pays primarily for man-hours and materials for teacher workshops, the director said.
The ERC conducts "summer intensives for teachers," DeVeau said. The teachers then take the information back to their students.
ERC workshops reach about 250 teachers throughout Arizona, and they in turn pass that information on to their students year after year.
DeVeau said the NASA ERC inspires the next generation of explorers through the following:
- Multimedia S.T.E.M. resources for Arizona educators.
- Monthly S.T.E.M. professional development workshops for Arizona K-12 educators.
- Summer teacher academies in aerospace, meteorology, aeronautics and engineering education.
- Annual middle school math and science Olympics.
- Service-learning projects/education programs with ERAU students for K-12 students, including space camp, family science, school breaks and after-school programs.
- Individualized K-12 S.T.E.M. student programs such as Space Physics Fest and international space station live downlink education event.
- Summer high school research opportunities.
- Educational video conference opportunities for students and educators with NASA staff.
- Arizona Science and Engineering Fair.
- Yavapai County Math Competition.
- Yavapai County Science Competition.
"NASA ERC has a lot of resources that teachers don't know about," DeVeau said.
Anyone interested in more information about the NASA ERC at Embry Riddle can contact DeVeau at 928-777-6281 or deveau@erau.edu.
