Three Cobb County teachers have been named NASA Airborne Astronomy ambassadors.
Dana Evans of Walton High School, Tami McIntire of Palmer Middle School and Shannon Ventresca of East Cobb Middle School are among 30 educators who were named to the 2021 Class of NASA Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors, the Cobb school district said.
The teachers were the only educators from Georgia selected for this year’s class. They follow three Cobb educators who were named ambassadors for 2020: Heather Guiendon of Walton High School, Doug LaVigne of Kell High School and Starrissa Winters of Wheeler High School.
The program, a professional development opportunity for teachers, is run by the SETI Institute, a research partner of NASA that explores the origins of life in the universe, according to its website. The program is designed to increase student interest in STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — subjects. It was originally offered to high school teachers, but was expanded this year to include middle school teachers and community college instructors.
Teachers accepted into the program are trained in astrophysics and planetary science. As part of the program, ambassadors participate in a week-long visit to a NASA astronomy research facility such as the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA. Once the training is complete, ambassadors teach a physical science lesson created by the SETI Institute that ties the curriculum to research conducted by NASA and the observatory.
“The selection of Shannon, Tami, and Dana to fly on SOFIA is just more evidence of why Cobb is the best place to teach, lead and learn,” said Cobb Schools Science Supervisor Christian Cali, who joined Cobb’s 2019 NASA Ambassadors on part of their flight mission.
Visit the Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors program website for more information.
