Local Teacher Selected to Attend Simulated Astronaut Training

Kristin Bivona of Stamford has been selected to join teachers from around the world to take part in the "Honeywell Educators @ Space Academy" program this month.  

Honeywell announced 210 scholarships for simulated astronaut training to teachers from 27 countries and 42 states. The training, announced in a release this week, will take place in Huntsville, Alabama at the US  Space & Rocket Center. 

Bivona, who has taught science for 21 years at Dolan Middle School, is looking forward to Space Academy because she describes herself as a “space geek.”

Teachers will participate in 45 hours of professional development, as well as an intensive educator curriculum focused on space science and exploration, according to the release.  Each teacher will also undergo simulated astronaut training including:

·         A high-performance jet simulation

·         Scenario-based space mission

·         Land and water survival training

·         Interactive flight dynamics programs

Only about one-third of 8th graders, according to the release, have the skills to perform even basic mathematic computations. Honeywell Educators @ Space Academy, created in partnership with the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in 2004, is designed to address these trends in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education by providing teachers skills and techniques to motivate students.

Since the program’s inception, more than 1,755 teachers have attended the program.