Application Essay Instructions

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Philosophy

Space for Teachers believes that authentic, meaningful research is the most effective curricular strategy for our students. Students engage with science better, persist in science at higher levels, perform better on content assessments, and have a higher-level of self-identity as scientists when they learn in a collaborative environment by working on problems that matter to the world. 

Program Objectives

The objective of the ETP is to provide educators with resources and opportunities to connect their classrooms with current aerospace research. We do this by providing expert mentorship through design and safety reviews and project integration.  This is an exciting, immersive experience culminating in a parabolic flight, in which the teacher conducts classroom research in microgravity.  

When successful, your experience with ETP will invite broad participation across all your classes, engage your community in the excitement of space, bring media attention to your school and its students, and provide professional development experience that reinvigorates your teaching for years to come. Most importantly, the program, if successful, will move the needle on student confidence in STEM by strengthening technical abilities, problem-solving capacity, collaborative skills, and a sense of connection to scientific investigation.

If you are the kind of teacher who loves learning alongside your students, if you are OK with not always knowing the answers but are willing to work with peers and students to learn, then ETP is right for you!

Essay Requirements

In a brief (3-page max) essay, please highlight your experience with teaching space and related sciences. Identify any curricular innovations or pedagogies you have introduced in your classes, and make a case for how you would benefit from this opportunity, how your specific students would benefit,  and how many students would be impacted by your participation in the program.

•   Number of years of full-time teaching experience 

• Challenges associated with STEM instruction

• How participation in ETP is expected to enhance the STEM outcomes and STEM career awareness of your students.

• If you are a non-STEM teacher (we invite our arts colleagues to apply!), please describe how you do or plan to integrate the program into your teaching

• If you are a STEM/science instructor, indicate options for introducing ETP project work into your classrooms that provides sufficient time to truly engage students with research

• Describe any history with infusion of space/aerospace topics into your curriculum

• Describe the desired outcomes for you, the teacher, from participation in ETP