Report from Headquarters


Education Program News

Written by: Space Foundation Editorial Team

Space Discovery Institute - Teaching Teachers to Inspire

The Space Foundation's 2008 Space Discovery Institute graduate courses are set to begin June 16. These courses utilize proven teaching strategies to enable, excite, and inspire teachers to integrate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) principles into their classrooms using the medium of space to capture the interest and imagination of their students. All courses are experiential, hands-on, and immediately transferable to the classroom. In addition to gaining invaluable experience and increasing their knowledge base, participating teachers can earn continuing education credits, graduate credits, or work toward a master's degree with a space studies science emphasis.

The 2008 Space Foundation Space Discovery Institute is comprised of five separate week-long graduate-level courses held in Colorado Springs and four courses in Charles County, Md. More than 250 educators from across the country are expected to take part in the 2008 Space Discovery Institute. Participating educators have the option to participate in one, some, or all of the courses. This year's classes include Biological and Physical Research: Long-term Space Travel; Astronomy Principles for the Classroom: Kinesthetic Astronomy; Space Technologies in the Classroom: Imagery and High-tech Science; Earth Systems Science: Our Earth Revealed; and Rocketry and the Biology of Living in Space: Living Aboard the International Space Station.

In order to provide the best quality hands-on experience for participating educators, class size for Space Discovery Institute courses is limited, and many courses are quickly approaching capacity. More information on the Space Discovery Institute is available at www.SpaceFoundation.org/education under programs.

New Education Team Member

Additionally, the Space Foundation's education team welcomes Bobby Gagnon, a former teacher at Explorer elementary in Colorado Springs, as an aerospace education specialist. Gagnon has seven years of classroom experience and has a strong background in aerospace education. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs with an emphasis in space studies. As an aerospace education specialist Gagnon will be involved with student outreach programs and teach courses at the Space Discovery Institute.

This article is part of Space Watch: June 2008 (Volume: 7, Issue: 6).


Posted in Report from Headquarters