August 8, 2006

Sallie A. Keith
Media Relations Office
216-433-5795

RELEASE: 06-040

NASA WORKSHOP PROVIDES POWERFUL LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR TEACHERS

Eighteen teachers from six Midwestern states recently attended a 
workshop at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. The teachers 
are members of NASA's Network of Educator Astronaut Teachers (NEAT) 
program. 

During the workshop, the NEAT participants learned about the unique 
research that NASA Glenn conducts in power generation. The teachers 
also participated in facility tours and hands-on activities that will 
allow them to share NASA research in their classrooms and in 
community engagement activities. The teachers were able to take part 
in research activities involving fuel and solar-cell cars, stirling 
engines and wind turbines. 

The NEAT program was founded in 2003 as a result of the overwhelming 
numbers of nominees for the Educator Astronaut Program. Approximately 
200 educators were chosen out of a field of 1,600 by a peer-review 
panel during the application process. Through workshops and seminars 
at NASA centers across the country, the educators enhance their 
skills in conveying to students the importance of math and science 
education. 

With this program, NASA continues the Agency's tradition of investing 
in the Nation's education programs. It is directly tied to the 
Agency's major education goal of attracting and retaining students in 
science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines. To 
compete effectively for the minds, imaginations and career ambitions 
of America's young people, NASA is focused on engaging and retaining 
students in STEM education programs to encourage their pursuit of 
educational disciplines critical to NASA's future engineering, 
scientific, and technical missions.

The teachers who participated in the workshop are listed below by 
state and city.

Illinois

Margaret Corp, Joliet 
Amy Kunz, Island Lake
Damian Simmons, Hawthorn Woods

Indiana

Daniel Wray, Warsaw

Michigan

Russell Billings, Davison
Cindy Hasselbring, Milan
Casmir Teliczan, Cedar Springs

Minnesota

Virgil Boehland, Duluth
Steve Brehmer, Wanamingo
Ken Fiscus, Albert Lea

Ohio

Warren Porter, Harrison
Kathryn Schultz, Parma Heights
Lisa Suarez-Caraballo, Cleveland

Wisconsin

Alan Gomez, Sun Prairie
Jeremy Kessenich, Mt. Horeb
Angela Krause, Altoona
Anna Mika, Amery
Ellen Van Pay, Green Bay

	
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