Boeing

The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] this week sent 85 public school teachers from around the world to the 16th Annual Boeing Educators to SPACE CAMP® program at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala.

The Boeing Educators to SPACE CAMP® program uses space exploration initiatives to enhance teachers' skills in presenting math, science and technology lessons that will inspire students and help ensure a skilled workforce for a globally competitive technology market. Since 1992, more than 600 teachers have participated in the annual Boeing program, reaching an estimated 30,000 students around the world.

The teachers, from grades 4-12, will spend their days completing workshops designed by grade level. Activities include simulated space missions, astronaut training and lectures by rocketry and space exploration experts. The teachers also will receive resources to implement in the classroom to help their students meet national standards for science, math and technology.

"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."

Boeing worked with U.S. and international school districts to select applicants for the program. This year, educators from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Washington, D.C., Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Virginia will learn what it takes to become an astronaut and how to inspire future engineers and scientists. Additionally, teachers ventured from Australia, India, Japan and Singapore to participate in the learning experience.

After graduating from SPACE CAMP® on July 15, each teacher will return home with a workbook to create lesson plans and additional program materials to use in the classroom. The graduates also will have access to an educator training facility and a Web site offering science experiments and other curriculum information.