Ten Buffalo Teachers to Attend Astronaut Training Program

Honeywell has awarded scholarships to ten Buffalo Public School teachers to attend its Honeywell Educators @ Space Academy program.  The teachers will attend the program at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama from June 12 to June 16, and were accepted into the program following a competitive application process that reviewed applicants from around the world.  The Buffalo teachers will join 210 other scholarship recipients.  This event is one element of Honeywell's award winning math and science education initiative.

"We are all honored to be selected to participate in Honeywell Educators @ Space Academy where we'll be trained by some of the best minds in the country and learn new and creative methods to teach our students science and math," said Kelly O'Neill, an earth science teacher at Burgard Vocational High School. "Our goal is to use this unique and rewarding training opportunity provided by Honeywell to get our students more excited about the fields of science, math, technology and engineering so they are better prepared for the future."

Created in partnership with the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in 2004, the Honeywell Educators @ Space Academy program is designed to help teachers move beyond the standard math and science curriculum with supplemental teaching techniques developed through real-life astronaut training.

"Through the Honeywell Educators @ Space Academy program we have trained more than 1,100 science and math teachers to become more engaging and inspiring educators," said Thomas Buckmaster, President, Honeywell Hometown Solutions. "This unique hands-on learning experience reinvigorates science, technology, engineering and math education in classrooms around the globe."

Honeywell Educators participate in 45 hours of professional development, as well as an intensive educator curriculum focused on space science and exploration.  Activities include classroom, laboratory and field training exercises, which are linked to U.S. science and math teaching standards.  Each teacher will also undergo real-life astronaut training including a high-performance jet simulation, scenario-based space missions, land and water survival training, and a state-of-the-art flight dynamics programs.

"I am very proud of our dedicated and hard working teachers in the Buffalo Public School District, especially the teachers attending this intensive training program who desire to get students more interested in the growing fields of science, math and technology," said Dr. James Williams, Buffalo School District Superintendent. "I also want to applaud Honeywell for their continued commitment to education in the Buffalo community and around the world."

Each Honeywell Educator receives a full scholarship following a rigorous application and selection process involving competing teachers from around the world. Scholarships include tuition for the six-day program, roundtrip airfare, meals, accommodation and program materials, all underwritten by Honeywell and contributions from Honeywell employees.

Since the program's inception, Honeywell and its employees have sponsored more than 1,100 scholarships for teachers from 37 countries and 49 U.S. states, to participate in the Honeywell Educators @ Space Academy programs.

The Buffalo Public School teachers attending this year's academy include:

Bruce Allen, Burgard Vocational High School; Tricia Andrzejewski, Buffalo Elementary School of Technology; Deborah Grimm, Discovery School; Kelly O'Neill, Burgard Vocational High School; Diane Livingston, Northpark Middle Academy; Lynn Matwijko, International School; Michael Mecca, Math, Science, & Technology School; Noah Spaulding, Burgard Vocational High School; Cathleen Stearns, Grover Cleveland International Preparatory School; Stacey Thomson, Lafayette High School; Jeffrey Welton, William J. Grabiarz School of Excellence.