Innovative Program Developed With Zero-G Corporation
Aero-News learned Monday
that Northrop Grumman has been recognized by the California Space
Authority (CSA) for developing and providing teachers with a
unique, "hands free" educational tool designed to motivate the
nation's students to seek careers in scientific and technical
fields.
Northrop Grumman received the 2006 Buzz Aldrin Space Education
& Workforce Award from the California Space Authority for its
Weightless Flights of Discovery teacher development program. The
award was presented to Northrop Grumman at CSA's annual SpotBeam
Awards dinner held November 30 in Los Angeles.
The company received CSA's 2006 Buzz Aldrin Space Education and
Workforce Award for its Weightless Flights of Discovery program, a
one-of-a-kind teacher development program that uses science
workshops and parabolic "zero-gravity" aircraft flights to help
educators teach students how math, science and engineering
principles apply in microgravity space environments.
The award ceremony was part of the CSA's annual Transforming
Space Conference. The award is one of more than a dozen SpotBeam
awards that CSA presents annually to citizens and California space
companies that make extraordinary contributions to US leadership in
the international space community.
Tom Vice (above, left), a Northrop Grumman vice president who
inspired the development of the Weightless Flights of Discovery
program, accepted the award on behalf of the company.
"This program is really about a passion Northrop Grumman has for
making sure our nation remains a global, competitive leader in
science and technology," said Vice. "We wanted to do something that
was proactive, that would allow us to partner directly with
teachers, because teachers are truly the heart and soul of our
future. We're excited that we've been able to add value to their
classrooms and perhaps help inspire today's students to become
tomorrow's explorers and technical innovators."
Northrop Grumman defined and developed the Weightless Flights of
Discovery in cooperation with Zero Gravity (ZERO-G) Corporation of
Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Between June and September, the companies
conducted workshops and zero-gravity flights in five regions of the
country, providing "once-in-a-lifetime" teaching experiences to
approximately 250 teachers representing 49 states, five US
territories and 24 countries. Over the next year, those teachers
will reach an estimated 10,000 elementary, middle school and high
school children with the lessons of this unique "high school."
In addition to managing and driving the Weightless Flights
program, Northrop Grumman provided approximately $60,000 in grants
to US teachers involved in the program. Those grants were made by
the Northrop Grumman Foundation.
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