LOS ANGELES, June 25, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) Foundation continues to accept applications for its 2008 Weightless Flights of Discovery program, an initiative that places teachers on micro- and zero-gravity flights to test Newton's laws of motion and energize students in the formative middle-school years.
Middle-school math and science teachers, as well as college students studying to become teachers, may apply for the program at www.northropgrumman.com/teachers. The foundation has selected four locations for this year's flights: San Jose, Calif. (Sept. 18); Florida's Space Coast (Sept. 30); Atlanta (Oct. 7); and the Chicago area (Oct. 21). A maximum of 60 teachers in each city will participate. The foundation chose these locations because of the close connections Northrop Grumman has with these areas, in terms of employee concentration and community involvement.
Selected participants will take part in a flight simulating weightlessness and lunar and Martian gravity. During one-day workshops, teachers will learn about science and engineering concepts, zero-gravity environments, and science and math curriculum development. The Northrop Grumman Foundation's sponsorship enables participants to enjoy the program at no cost, excluding expenses related to travel to and from the workshops and flights.
The program is one of several initiatives the foundation sponsors in support of promoting education and student interest in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. The foundation has targeted middle-school math and science teachers primarily because the United States is experiencing a shortage of college graduates in these disciplines, a development that bodes ill for the nation's industries that depend on talented scientists and mathematicians. Because studies have indicated most children make the decision to pursue math and science education and careers during middle-school, Northrop Grumman developed the Weightless Flights of Discovery to engage teachers, key influencers in the lives of students during these crucial years.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.