27th Annual A. Scott Crossfield Aerospace Education Teacher of the Year Award “Call for Entries”
(March 10 , 2013 – Dayton, OH) The National Aviation Hall of Fame is seeking entries for the 27th annual A. Scott Crossfield Aerospace Education Teacher of the Year Award, which includes a $5,000 cash stipend.
Founded by famed research test pilot Scott Crossfield in 1986, the award is a juried competition open to current classroom teachers in grades K through 12. Nominations will be examined by a review committee of aerospace industry and education professionals for documentation of a teacher’s effectiveness, creativity and ability to maintain high standards for their students and themselves with aerospace being the part of the core subject matter.
The Crossfield Award winner will be honored during the NAHF Enshrinement events held during the first weekend in October in Dayton. The winning teacher and a guest will also receive an all-expense paid trip to Dayton and be a guest at the Hall of Fame’s 51th Annual Enshrinement Ceremony on October 4, 2013.
Jim McCarter, a Sycamore Elementary School teacher from Kokomo, Indiana was unanimously chosed by the National Aviation Hall of Fame’s selection committee to receive the 2012 A. Scott Crossfield Aerospace Education Teacher of the Year Award.
His classroom is a mock space shuttle. During his acceptance speech Mr. McCarter explained to the aviation community that kids who want to be in your classroom: are going to show up, have good behavior, and are going to learn something.
“What made this award even more special for Mr. McCarter, a self-proclaimed astronaut/science nerd, was the fact that the Sycamore 5th-grade KEY teacher met Scott Crossfield in 1993 at a Space Camp in Huntsville, AL.
“Scott was one of the speakers at an International Space Development Conference (ISDC) conducted at Space Camp,”Mr. McCarter explained. “Scott was such a friendly guy. To receive an award that Mr. Crossfield started because he felt educators were very important; and then to be honored in the same building where Wilbur and Orville Wright are memorialized.
In addition, Mr. McCarter enjoyed meeting some of the astronauts and aviators he has followed over the years, such as Hoot Gibson (5 shuttle flights), Dr. Rae Sedan (3 shuttle flights), Eileen Collins (first female shuttle commander), Joe Engle (commander on 2nd shuttle flight) and Dick Rutan (first non-stop and unrefueled flight around the world).
This award is named in honor of Scott Crossfield (1921-2006) who was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1983 in recognition of his contributions as a naval aviator, aerospace engineer and test pilot. He was the first man to successfully fly at speeds above Mach 2 and Mach 3; the first man to fly the X-15; and contributed to the safety of manned spaceflight, among many other achievements. Scott Crossfield believed that teachers make the difference. He established the award to recognize
The deadline for nominations is June 1, 2013. The winner must be able to attend the Enshrinement weekend.
For more information and submission forms, go to www.nationalaviation.org or call 1-888-383-1903, ext. 11.
# # #
