Thirty teachers from around the world will attend SPACE CAMP® at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., courtesy of The Boeing Company [NYSE:BA].
"This is the 12th year the company has sent elementary and high school teachers to the camp under the Boeing Educators to SPACE CAMP program," said Mary Foerster, vice president of Communications for Integrated Defense Systems. "Since 1992, nearly 300 teachers have taken part in the program and those teachers have reached more than 23,000 students. It's vital to our future that programs such as SPACE CAMP continue to reach out to teachers and students alike."
Through interactive classroom assignments, special tours and lectures, and hands-on team activities, the Boeing program provides educators with many of the resources they need to inspire and motivate their students to learn more about math, science and space. While in Huntsville, teachers from 13 states, along with educators from the United Kingdom, Australia, Russia, Italy and Japan, will take part in a week-long series of exercises that include simulated space missions, astronaut training and lectures by experts in rocketry and space exploration. Graduation ceremonies will be held on July 20, the anniversary of the first moon landing by Apollo 11 in 1969.
"SPACE CAMP provides a learning environment where science, math, and technology are explored and practiced through the mysteries and wonders of space,"said Julie Ferriss, director of education at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and graduate of the Space Academy for Educators. "For educators, SPACE CAMP provides a place to become a learner again and to join with other educators who share the same passions for teaching and learning."
Besides experiencing the rigors of astronaut training, the teachers will network with their colleagues and take back their enthusiasm and knowledge to share with the young minds in their classrooms.
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $25 billion business. It provides systems solutions to its global military, government and commercial customers. It is a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; the world's largest military aircraft manufacturer; the world's largest satellite manufacturer and a leading provider of space-based communications; the primary systems integrator for U.S. missile defense; NASA's largest contractor; and a global leader in launch services.
The Boeing Company is the world's leading aerospace company, with its heritage mirroring the history of flight. It is the largest manufacturer of satellites, commercial jetliners, and military aircraft. The company is also a global market leader in missile defense, human space flight, and launch services. In terms of sales, Boeing is the largest U.S. exporter. Total company revenues for 2002 were $54 billion.
Note to editors: To arrange interviews with teachers attending Space Camp, please contact the Boeing communicator listed below.