SOMERSET, Ky. (LEX 18) — An elementary school teacher in Pulaski County received an award from a national STEM education program. On Tuesday, the director of the program, called Project Lead the Way, paid a special visit to science teacher Natasha Craft.

Mrs. Craft, the STEM Lab teacher at Pulaski Elementary School, was presented with the Robert and Patricia Kern National Teacher of the Year Award. From her classroom to the hallways, the whole school got to celebrate the honor Mrs. Craft received.

"It is amazing, kind of unbelievable. I couldn't believe it when they told me," says Craft, "I'm very honored to receive that award."

Project Lead the Way is a national STEM curriculum program for schools, which Mrs. Craft worked to launch at Pulaski Elementary, and Principal Angela Adkins says Mrs. Craft has been instrumental in the growth of the program.

"She was really intrigued by this, and she was trained, and implemented this into our school," says Adkins.

The program helps teach students skills in STEM education that will go far beyond the classroom.

"It's about the skills; the problem-solving skills, the teamwork skills, and design--the whole design process that our students have had the opportunity to learn," says Adkins.

"They're learning how to fail forward," says Craft, "They're learning how, when things do not work out right, to recover from that and come up with a new idea; how to work as a team; how to communicate. Everything they do, they have to be able to get up in front of the class and explain what they did and why."

"And we're having fun at the same time," she adds, "We're driving robots, and flying drones, and building, and being engineers."

For this newly-named national teacher of the year, those lessons are bigger than any award.

Mrs. Craft is also a national trainer for the Project Lead the Way STEM program, and Pulaski Elementary School has been named a distinguished school for the program.

Learn more at:

https://www.lex18.com/news/pulaski-co-science-teacher-receives-national-honor

Darby Beane, Sep 26, 2023 Updated Sep 26, 2023

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (WDRB) -- Students in Hardin County are applying their studies to real-world problem solving by helping NASA with research. The focus is on hydroponics, in which plants are grown in water instead of soil.

A group of about two dozen John Hardin High School students, mostly freshmen, are researching hydroponic techniques in Jeremy Hall's agricultural education class.

Hardin County students planning to send research to NASA. (Photo provided by Jeremy Hall)

Hall, in his 24th year teaching, explained that this is a project between groups including the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden in Florida and NASA. He also said his class is working with a corporation called MARSfarm. Use this link to learn more about the products MARSfarm has to offer science teachers! 

Hall said the goal is to conduct research for NASA to help develop hydroponic techniques in the space program. 

"We applied for it and got chosen, and so we're going to be testing about eight different plant cultivars to see performance-wise how they do and we will share that data with NASA in about 28 days. We actually start seeding tomorrow," Hall said Tuesday. 

According to Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, the Growing Beyond Earth program is a "classroom-based citizen science project operated in partnership with NASA, designed to advance NASA research on growing plants in space. It includes a series of plant experiments conducted by students in a Fairchild-designed plant habitat similar to the Vegetable Production System (Veggie) on the International Space Station."

Hall said his students are working in groups as engineers, mission leads, and botanists to conduct the research. There's a poster at John Hardin High School now marking the 'Active Research Site' saying:

"This school is actively testing edible plant cultivars to assist scientists at NASA. Data will help determine which plants will be considered for growth in future space missions."

"All these trials are going into the Artemis project which is the big lunar-based project they're [NASA] hoping to start," said Hall. 

He said students are excited to see their work have meaning in real-world application and said even if their research shows failure, as long as they understand why, it will be valuable information to share. 

"I think one of my kids had a really good point yesterday. They were like, 'Man this is going to be cool when I'm 70-years-old I can tell my grandkids, 'You see those plants? They're growing there on that moon base. I was part of that,'" said Hall. 

Hardin County students planning to send research to NASA. (Photo provided by Jeremy Hall)

While the classroom environment won't be able to replicate scenarios like changes in gravity, Hall said research can show which plant varieties grow the fastest, produce the most, and have the highest nutritional value. He explained that different schools are studying other environmental impacts. 

At the end of the first phase of the trial, Hall said results will be sent to NASA. Students will have the opportunity to join a virtual conversation with NASA engineers and botanists and then together, design another round of experiments where they may change aspects such as humidity or lighting to look at more results. 

Copyright 2023 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.

By Madison Carmouche

Published: Sep. 28, 2023 at 10:18 PM CDT

HAZARD, Ky. (WYMT) - The Challenger Learning Center worked on its newest exhibit for several months before the unveiling on Thursday.

The grand opening gave visitors their first look at what the new Moon, Mars, and Beyond exhibit has to offer.

“Today is just a momentous occasion. We are taking what is 24 years of the Challenger Learning Center and we’re giving it brand new life,” said one of the Challenger Learning Center board members, Sandi Curd.

Officials with the center said they often have students come back and let them know what field trips to the center did for their future.

“They come to the center and their minds get expanded, ‘Oh I might be able to go to college,’” said former President of Hazard Community and Technical College Ed Hughes. “They might be the first in their family to go to college.”

Jody Caudill said, when he was younger, he loved the programs offered by the center and made the trek back from his Space Engineering Master’s program at Morehead State University.

“All of them have something to do with engineering or space and that kind of led me to, well, it really led me to know I want to be an engineer,” said Caudill.

Before all of the work could be completed, the center raised $2.25 million for the new exhibit, using both donations and grants.

“Just because it’s a smaller area, does not at all affect impact, in fact, it magnifies it. It’s just superb that it can be at a center like this too,” said John Siegel, the exhibit fabricator who has also fabricated one-of-a-kind robotic arms for the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, and the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston.

If you are interested in seeing the Moon, Mars, and Beyond exhibit, you can visit the Challenger Learning Center Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Copyright 2023 WYMT. All rights reserved.

BSCS Science Learning and Kendall Hunt Publishing Company recently released BSCS Biology: Understanding for Life to meet the changing needs of science classrooms across the country. Rave reviews from teachers, students, and EdReports assure us that we’re on the right track. And now, we want to offer our supporters an inside look at our vision for the future of science education.

Join us on Monday, October 30, 2023 at 1 p.m. (MT), for an exclusive webinar presented by Daniel Edelson, BSCS Executive Director.

All registrants will receive a recording of the webinar, so no worries if you cannot attend!

Register Here! 

The Kentucky State Radon Program would like to award three scholarships to contest participants that produce creative video content to help raise awareness of the harmful effects of elevated levels of indoor radon gas. By participating in this activity, students will learn about radon and how to reduce their risk of exposure while also helping educate the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The deadline is November 15, 2023.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND APPLICATIONS FOR SUBMISSION VISIT THE KY RADON PROGRAM WEBSITE:

WWW.CHFS.KY.GOV/RADON

Radon Video Contest Flyer

On behalf of The Dairy Alliance, a nonprofit organization representing dairy farm families of Kentucky and seven additional southeastern states: 

Our most popular in-class education program is Adopt A Cow (AAC—flyer attached), a FREE program offered to all K-12 classrooms.  Throughout the program, students will find out what the calf’s name is, when her birthday is, where she lives and how the farmer takes care of her. We’ll also send photos of the cow, activity sheets for the students, a PowerPoint full of information and photos, and a suggested lesson that follows Common CORE standards and Next Generation Science Standards through email and the Adopt A Cow portal.  Also, for the first time this year, high-school specific lessons exploring careers in the dairy industry will also be included.  What once was primarily an elementary school program has quickly grown to become very popular at all grade levels!

Forget the guinea pig. How about adopting a 1,500-pound dairy cow for your classroom mascot? Don’t worry about finding a pen big enough to hold her. The photos and stories we’ll send you about her life on the farm will make her come alive for your students!

The Discover Dairy “Adopt a Cow” program is an exciting, year-long experience for your classroom. Throughout the program, you’ll get an inside look at dairy farming and be paired with a calf from a working dairy farm in the United States. You’ll find out what her name is, when her birthday is, where she lives, and how the farmer takes care of her. You’ll also receive progress updates, photos of the cow, live chats from the farm, activity sheets for your students, suggested lessons that follow Common CORE standards, and even opportunities to write letters to your calf! All updates are easily accessible via an online portal and app for Apple and Android.

Register for this school year between May 1 and September 15, and join the moo-vement that has impacted 1+ million students across the globe! Visit www.discoverdairy.com/adopt to learn more about the free program.

Discover Dairy is an educational series managed by the Dairy Excellence Foundation in partnership with American Dairy Association Northeast, American Dairy Association Indiana, American Dairy Association Mideast, Midwest Dairy, The Dairy Alliance, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, Dairy Council of Arizona and Nevada, Dairy West, New England Dairy, Dairy Farmers of Washington, Dairy Council of Florida, United Dairy Industry of Michigan, Maine Dairy and Nutrition Council, and Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council.

Adopt a Cow Flyer 2023.pdf

Two KY secondary teachers have been named finalists for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) award. The 2023 state finalists in science are Matthew Bryant of South Warren High School (Warren County) and Brian Welch of Madisonville North Hopkins High School (Hopkins County).

The awards program is administered by the National Science Foundation on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

https://www.kentuckyteacher.org/news/2023/05/four-kentucky-teachers-named-finalists-for-2023-presidential-award-in-science-and-math/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Applications are now open for the National Air and Space Museum's Teacher Innovator Institute.  Spend two weeks in Washington, DC, working with education and STEAM experts to explore the connections between informal STEAM education and authentic learning. Teachers will remain with the program for two summers, returning to Washington, DC, in year two to reconnect, develop their practice, and mentor the newest class of Teacher Innovators.  There is no cost for teachers to participate and most expenses are paid by the Museum.

https://airandspace.si.edu/learn/educator-resources/teacher-innovator-institute

Dr. Hainline's YouTube channel: recent video on the James Webb Space Telescope is exceptionally good.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZWbiSLbWuRa5aV6ymL0iug 

MAYSVILLE, KENTUCKY - April 27, 2022 - The National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT)  is pleased to announce that the 2022 Outstanding Earth Science Teacher (OEST) Central Section Winner is Yvonne Garrison, high school science teacher at Mason County High School. The annual award is for "exceptional contributions to the stimulation of interest in the Earth Sciences at the pre-college level."

The Central Section Committee of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers was particularly impressed by Ms. Garrison's development of project-based learning units and the fieldwork that accompanies these units, the partnership she has fostered with community members and the implementation of geologic and environmental solutions to real world problems. The detailed example of how she engages students in project-based geoscience learning gave the committee a clear picture of her passion for earth science and environmental teaching and her dedication to Mason County High School students and the profession.
 

NAGT was established in 1938 with the goal to improve geoscience education, emphasize the relevance and cultural significance of the earth sciences, and to disseminate knowledge to educators and the general public. The competitive Outstanding Earth Science Teaching Award program was established in 1971 to identify, recognize and reward excellence in teaching. The NAGT commends Yvonne Garrison for her dedication to her students and her outstanding earth science teaching.