A 3rd-year teacher from Brazil, Milton Lima, was recently chosen to represent the Space Foundation as a Teacher Liaison. He currently works at the STEM Early High School in Vance County Schools. We asked him to tell us a little about the program:
“My plan as a Space Foundation Teacher Liaison is to continue the project I have with Brazilian students. The Brazilian Aerospace Academy was founded in 2019 with other Brazilian science teachers aiming to work STEM and enhance collaboration between students and Educators from Brazil and the United States.
In 2020 I have reached hundreds of students in both countries by inviting NASA astronauts and different space industry professionals to share their inspirational stories and experiences on the last Friday of the month. In addition, students were meeting online weekly to receive challenges and work collaboratively to find a solution to a space-related problem.
My passion for space science hadn’t flourished until I had the opportunity to participate in the Space Academy for Educators in 2015 at US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
There I could meet space professionals, and more importantly, I connected with Earth and Space Science Teachers all over the world who are always willing to share lesson plans and project ideas. I have always used project-based learning ideas to make science content more meaningful to students.
Therefore, using space science as a theme to explore a more integrated teaching strategy that would not only engage students but would bring real problems that require innovative skills to solve is what I believe is vital for a successful education.”
To inspire the innovators of tomorrow to take their place within this growing community, each year, Space Foundation selects a new group of elite educators called Teacher Liaisons.
These unique individuals from around the world are selected from hundreds of applications following a rigorous application process. These educators take on additional responsibilities to expand their knowledge and, in turn, elevate the understanding of their students and fellow educators.
Teacher Liaisons are selected to advocate for space-inspired education between schools, school districts, communities, and Space Foundation – the preeminent advocate for innovation and bettering life on Earth.
In its eighteenth year, the Teacher Liaison program positively influences space-inspired education on an international level by working with educational stakeholders to impact the global space ecosystem.
With more than three hundred educators in fourteen countries, Space Foundation supports Teacher Liaisons by allowing them to participate in specialized training and instruction they can use in their classrooms.
At Space Foundation, we see Teacher Liaisons as critical to helping students broaden employment opportunities, explore new business pathways, and bolster skill-building programs for new careers that can fuel economic sustainability for generations to come.