24 teachers from 13 states will become NASA Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors

March 1, 2022, Mountain View, California – The SETI Institute has selected 24 teachers from 13 states as NASA Airborne Astronomy (AAA) Ambassadors in 2022. AAA is a professional development program for science teachers to ‘improve science education and enhance student learning and STEM engagement. The AAA program includes teachers from middle schools, high schools, and community colleges.

AAA teachers receive training in astrophysics and planetary sciences, including a week-long STEM immersion experience at a NASA astronomy research facility such as the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy ( SOFIA) based in Palmdale, California, or the Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. After training, AAAs teach a physical science curriculum module created by the SETI Institute that links curriculum concepts to NASA-enabled research. WestEd Education Consultants assess the impact of the Honors Curriculum Module on student engagement in STEM. Previous controlled study evaluations of the AAA program have shown statistically significant improvements in student learning and engagement among students whose teachers participated in the program.

Since 2011, the NASA-funded AAA program has impacted tens of thousands of students through the experiences and training of their teachers. “This powerful STEM program will allow the SETI Institute to continue bringing NASA science into classrooms across the country,” said AAA program manager Dr. Dana Backman. “These teachers will use their professional development and STEM immersion experiences to deliver real-world content to their students that highlights the value of scientific inquiry and the wide variety of STEM career paths available to them. “

The school districts and organizations participating in the AAA program in 2022 are:

Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, Maryland
Canyons School District, Sandy, Utah
Cobb County School District, Marietta, Georgia
Diocese of Raleigh/Cardinal Gibbons High School, Raleigh, North Carolina
Dodge City Community College, Dodge City, Kansas
Fort Zumwalt School District R2, O’Fallon, Missouri
Harmony Public Schools, Houston, Texas
William S. Hart Union High School District, Santa Clarita, California
iLEAD California Charter Schools, Acton, CA
Kiowa County School District RE-1, Eads, Colorado
Little Elm Independent School District, Little Elm, Texas
Maker Learning Network, Acton, CA
Manteca Unified School District, Manteca, CA
Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Northside Independent School District, San Antonio, Texas
Northwest Arkansas Community College, Bentonville, Arkansas
Norwood-Norfolk Central School District, Norwood, New York
Ohlone College, Fremont, CA
St. Joan of Arc School, Lisle, Illinois
Sylacauga City Schools, Sylacauga, Alabama
Tarbut V’Torah Community Day School, Irvine, CA
Washoe County School District, Reno, Nevada
Western College of Nevada, Carson City, Nevada

The 24 teachers selected as 2022 Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors (photos below):

Leilani Ancel, Fort Zumwalt East High School, O’Fallon, Missouri
Heather Anderson, Fort Zumwalt West High School, O’Fallon, Missouri
Tanya Anderson, St. Joan of Arc School, Lisle, Illinois
Katherine Auld, Northwest Arkansas Community College, Bentonville, Arkansas
Teresa Cobble, Lovinggood Middle School, Powder Springs, Georgia
Amy Dennis, Sylacauga High School, Sylacauga, Alabama
Ann Marie Dubick, Campbell Middle School, Smyrna, Georgia
Kerem Ekinci, Harmony Public Schools, Houston, TX
Sean Ellison, Norwood-Norfolk High School, Norwood, New York
Dawit Hailu, Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, Maryland
Thomas Herring, Western Nevada College, Carson City, Nevada
Lucy Howlet, Colorado SKIES Academy, Englewood, Colorado
Raquel Jarabek, Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Cody Kennedy, Castaic High School, Castaic, CA
Dustin Lengning, Santa Clarita Valley International Charter School, Castaic, CA
Jennifer Muir, Draper Park Middle School, Draper, Utah
Diane Ripollone, Cardinal Gibbons High School, Raleigh, North Carolina
Sherry Rogers, Dodge City Community College, Dodge City, Kansas
Tyler Ryan, Sierra High School, Manteca, CA
Yolonda Simon, Little Elm High School, Little Elm, TX
Joseph Wagner, Eads High School, Eads, Colorado
Diallo Wallace, Tarbut V’Torah Community Day School, Irvine, CA
Eric Wegryn, Ohlone College, Fremont, CA
James Young, North Valleys High School, Reno, Nevada

Leilani Ancel
Leilani Ancel

Heather Anderson
Heather Anderson

Tanya Anderson
Tanya Anderson

Katherine Aud
Katherine Aud

Therese Cobble
Therese Cobble

Amy Dennis
Amy Dennis

Anne-Marie Dubick
Anne-Marie Dubick

Kerem Ekinci
Kerem Ekinci

Sean Ellison
Sean Ellison

Dawit Hailu
Dawit Hailu

Thomas Herring
Thomas Herring

Lucy Howlet
Lucy Howlet

Raquel Jarabek
Raquel Jarabek

Cody Kennedy
Cody Kennedy

Dustin Lengning
Dustin Lengning

Jennifer Muir
Jennifer Muir

Diane Ripollone
Diane Ripollone

Sherry Rogers
Sherry Rogers

Tyler Ryan
Tyler Ryan

Yolonda Simon
Yolonda Simon

Joseph Wagner
Joseph Wagner

Diallo Wallace
Diallo Wallace

Eric Wegryn
Eric Wegryn

James Young
James Young

About the Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors Program
The SETI Institute’s NASA Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors (AAA) program is one of approximately 30 awards given to U.S. organizations competitively selected by NASA through the Science Activation program. These cooperative agreements more effectively engage learners of all ages with NASA science. The agency’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) in Washington, DC chooses the selections. NASA SMD NNX16AC51A funds the AAA program, which began in 2016.

About the SETI Institute
Founded in 1984, the SETI Institute is a nonprofit, multidisciplinary research and education organization whose mission is to lead humanity’s quest to understand the origins and prevalence of life and intelligence in the universe and share this knowledge with the world. Our research spans the physical and biological sciences and relies on data analytics, machine learning and advanced signal detection technologies. The SETI Institute is a distinguished research partner for industry, academia, and government agencies, including NASA and the National Science Foundation.

Contact information
Rebecca McDonald
Communications Director
SETI Institute
[email protected]

Dr. Dana Backman
AAA program manager
SETI Institute
[email protected]

Download the full press release here.

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