UAE teachers participate in Honeywell Educators at Space Academy Astronaut Training Programme

Over the course of two consecutive weeks, from June 14 to 27, teachers will experience a unique opportunity to re-ignite their passion for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.

Honeywell Hometown Solutions, the company’s corporate citizenship initiative in partnership with USSRC, created this award-winning scholarship program in 2004. Since then, HESA has graduated 2,776 educators from 62 countries and 52 U.S. states and territories, reaching more than 3 million students around the world.

“Technology is changing exponentially. Things we once held as impossibilities are reality – we are on our Journey to Mars,” said Dr. Deborah Barnhart, CEO and Executive Director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. “Educating the next generation of leaders and learners is key to global success. Exploration improves quality of life for all humanity through discoveries in science and engineering. The Honeywell Educators at Space Academy program unites teachers with exciting tools and methods to change the lives of students around the globe.”

The programme includes 45 hours of classroom and laboratory instruction focused on science, space exploration and leadership skills development. Teachers will participate in astronaut-style exercises such as high-performance jet simulation, scenario-based space missions, coding challenges, land and water survival training and interactive flight dynamics programs. Through these exercises, teachers learn how to reinvigorate their classroom with ideas, lessons and other materials.

“Attending Honeywell Educators at Space Academy was truly the most incredible experience of my teaching career,” said 2016 alumni Jodie Guillen, from the U.S. state of New Mexico. “I was so excited to get back into my classroom and use everything I learned to inspire the future scientists and engineers sitting right in my classroom. Who knows, maybe one of my students will actually make it to Mars one day.”

“As a leading technology and software company, Honeywell places a great deal of importance on educating our next generation of scientists and engineers,” said Mike Bennett, president, Honeywell Hometown Solutions. “The teachers who attend the academy understand the importance of STEM education better than anyone. They use these learnings to keep their students engaged and passionate about science, technology, engineering and math.”