AIAA Launches New Trailblazing Stem Educator Award

A student at ATP Flight School, John Wathen IV is an aspiring pilot who resides in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. To help him achieve this goal, John Moss Wathen IV belongs to aviation associations including the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the Experimental Aircraft Association. Additionally, and keeps up with organizations such as the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

The Trailblazing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Educator Award was launched by the Challenger Center and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). The annual award will honor K-12 educators who have significantly encouraged students to become inventors and explorers of the future. The prize will be given to instructors who link classroom lessons to the country’s present and future exploration and innovation initiatives. Nominations for the Trailblazing STEM Educator Award are accepted at aiaa.org/trailblazingstemeducatoraward.

From the nominations, five finalists will be chosen. Each of the five finalists will receive $5,000 both for themselves and their schools, as well as free access to Challenger Center’s STEM programs, a presentation ceremony at their school, and a trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the AIAA Aerospace Spotlight Awards Gala. The Challenger Center, a national pioneer in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, annually engages more than 250,000 children in hands-on learning experiences through experiential education programs.