image: Patricia Palazzolo, Gifted Education Coordinator at Upper St. Clair High School in Upper St. Clair, Pa. view more
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Three K-12 educators from across the United States have won the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Foundation Educator Achievement Awards, honoring their efforts to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
"Educators have a profound effect on the future--we all remember our favorite teachers, who taught us to see exciting possibilities in challenges," said Jim Maser, AIAA Foundation chair. "These winners have inspired their students to reach for more and see a world full of fun challenges to solve. We are grateful for their dedication. Their influence on their students today will ripple out in ways we can only imagine."
This year's honorees each received $5,000 for themselves as well as $5,000 for their respective schools. The winners of the 2019 AIAA Foundation Educator Achievement Award are:
Charlotte Cook, Young Astronaut Specialist at Carver Magnet School in Little Rock, Arkansas, for "bringing STEM practices to our school, district, and community by utilizing AIAA and other resources that open students' eyes to endless possibilities."
Patricia Palazzolo, Gifted Education Coordinator at Upper St. Clair High School in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, for "encouraging students to pursue space- and STEM-related careers through hands-on projects and mentorship."
Megan L. Tucker, STEAM Specialist at Hillsboro Charter Academy in Hillsboro, Virginia, for "inspiring a love of STEAM nationally for scholars and colleagues alike using aerospace education, Megan has a passionate mission for creating an 'Aviation Fascination'!"
The AIAA Foundation Educator Achievement Award recognizes K-12 educators for outstanding contributions to the continued study of STEM subjects among America's youth. Each of these teachers has had a significant impact on creating the next generation of aerospace professionals who will shape our community's future. Since 1997, the award has honored more than 65 educators from the United States.
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About the AIAA Foundation
The AIAA Foundation seeks to "make it exciting, make it empowering, and make it fun." That simple, compelling philosophy drives the Foundation's commitment to math, science, and technology education. The AIAA Foundation offers a wealth of resources to support educators from K-12 through university: scholarships, classroom grants, design competitions, and student conferences, improving scientific literacy and advancing the arts and sciences of aerospace. For more information on the AIAA Foundation and its programs for students, teachers, and professionals, please visit http://www.aiaafoundation.org.
About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world's largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 85 countries, and 95 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit http://www.aiaa.org, or follow us on Twitter @AIAA.