The mission of the Aerospace Center for Excellence is to engage, educate and accelerate the next generation of aerospace professionals. Every year we offer programs that provide resources for educators to infuse STEM and aerospace education into their classrooms, ultimately fostering memorable and meaningful experiences for their students. With that being said, these unprecedented times has led us to transition our beloved professional development program, Classroom to the Sky to a virtual platform.
This year’s program, Classroom to the Sky: STEMinar 2020 – will focus on research-based teaching strategies, undergraduate and graduate research (in the areas of STEM & Aerospace Education), as well as addressing issues currently affecting the STEM education community. In-service credit is available to Polk County School teachers through the Polk County School District’s Science Department. We are pleased to announce our keynote speakers, Dr. Barbara Gruber, the Assistant Director of Education Programs at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and Dr. Samuel Garcia Jr., Educator Professional Development Specialist at the Kennedy Space Center.