To improve American teachers' professional qualifications, some organizations are launching opportunities for current educators to receive additional training that will enhance their credentials.
For example, Honeywell Hometown Solutions, a nonprofit branch of Honeywell Intentional, has announced that it awarded more than 200 scholarships that will help fund professor participation in the Honeywell Educators @ Space Academy program. This opportunity will allow educators to advance their knowledge in both mathematics and science, while exploring teaching techniques developed through astronaut training.
Participants will complete a total of 45 hours of professional development and will be exposed to a curriculum that highlights space science and exploration. Educators will also participate in classroom, laboratory and field training activities, and undergo astronaut training that includes scenario-based space missions, land and water survival as well as jet simulation.
Thomas Buckmaster, president of Honeywell Hometown Solutions, stated that "this unique hands-on learning experience reinvigorates science, technology, engineering and math education in classrooms around the globe."
Established in 2004, this program has provided more than 1,100 scholarships to teachers.
Government statistics suggest that the employment of mathematicians, including math teachers, will increase by 22 percent during the next eight years, which is faster than the average rate for all other occupations.
