Pathfinder Applications

Every journey begins with a single step. The Pathfinder program is the first step in the journey toward our goal of putting a thousand astronaut teachers into American classrooms.

Pathfinders will be the first astronaut teachers to fly in space and return to the classroom. These Pathfinders will not only fly in space, they will also help us design the three-week training course for the large number of teachers who follow. We hope that Pathfinders will also return each summer to help us teach the course. (Can you think of a more exciting summer job?)

We have currently selected applications for the first ten Pathfinders. Seven teachers have been selected to be our first Pathfinders.

We're looking for additional Pathfinders during the next year who are knowledgeable in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) subjects. Applicants for the STEM Pathfinder slot are asked to submit a proposal for an experiment that could be performed on a suborbital flight.

We're looking for other Pathfinders who have strong skills in lesson plan development. Applicants are asked to submit a lesson plan or curriculum module based on any aspect of human spaceflight. Teachers from all subject areas, STEM and non-STEM, are encouraged to apply.

Applicants will be judged on these submissions as well as their educational background and experience. Finalists will be contacted for personal interviews and additional screening. 

Watch this space for news of the next application process.

Please put me on the email list so I can be notified of the application upload.
info@teachersinspace.org

The first group of seven Pathfinder Teacher Astronauts have been selected and are currently beginning their training

(http://www.blog.teachersinspace.org/ ).

There are two Pathfinder competitions:

• STEM Pathfinder
• General Education Pathfinder

The STEM Pathfinder competition is open to K-12 teachers of science, technology, engineering, and/or math. Applicants are asked to submit a proposal for an experiment that can be performed during a sub-orbital space flight.

The General Education Pathfinder is for K-12 teachers in all subject areas. Applicants are asked to submit a lesson plan based on some aspect of human space flight.

The next application process will begin in early February, 2010.