Embry-Riddle’s New Degree Program in Commercial Space Operations to Sponsor Teachers in Space Summer Workshops
Daytona Beach, FL, June 11, 2013
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s new Commercial Space Operations degree program, the first of its kind in the world, will sponsor Teachers in Space summer workshops for the next five years.
A project of the Space Frontier Foundation (SFF), Teachers in Space stimulates student interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by giving teachers authentic astronaut training and real space science experiences combined with information and resources they can take back with them to their classrooms.
“This is an exciting and fitting linkup between Embry-Riddle and Teachers in Space” said Dr. Lance Erickson, coordinator of the university’s Commercial Space Operations program. “Our sponsorship will help students, teachers and organizers collaborate in bringing space education to every level, from K-12 to graduate programs.”
Embry-Riddle will host the Teachers in Space workshops at its Daytona Beach Campus during the five-year timespan, with this summer’s workshop already full. Activities for the participants will include high-altitude simulation training, spatial disorientation training and strategic access to the launch complexes at Cape Canaveral, Fla.
“Embry-Riddle graduates are already a major presence in the emergent private space industry and we're proud to have their alma mater as a sponsor of our Teachers in Space project," said Bob Werb, chairman of the board, Space Frontier Foundation. “We’ve been working with Embry-Riddle for several years and today we are taking a giant step forward in our growing partnership.”
Watch a video interview of James Pura, Space Frontier Foundation director, and Rebecca Zgorski, Embry-Riddle Commercial Space Operations project specialist.
About Teachers in Space
Teachers in Space improves science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in America through summer workshops that give teachers authentic astronaut training and real space science experiences combined with information and resources they can take back to their classrooms. The goal is to inspire large numbers of young people to study STEM while spreading understanding of the opportunities offered by the emergent private space industry. Visit http://TIS.spacefrontier.org.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 40 baccalaureate, master's and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business and Engineering. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., and through the Worldwide Campus with more than 150 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit http://www.embryriddle.edu, follow us on Twitter (@EmbryRiddle) and facebook.com/EmbryRiddleUniversity, and find expert videos at YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv.
