LOS ANGELES, June 17, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Northrop Grumman Foundation announced the scholarship recipients of its Earthwatch Educator Program, an innovative environmental education program for teachers across the country.
Twenty-two educators from communities in which the company operates have been selected to participate in an Earthwatch expedition focused on climate change or oceans preservation. This is an invaluable experience intended to be transferred to the classroom and shared with students year after year.
"There is a growing concern regarding the number of students in the United States entering science, technology, engineering and mathematic careers," said Sandra Evers-Manly, president of the Northrop Grumman Foundation. "One way to reverse that trend is to make science and math fascinating and applicable for students. We are proud to partner with Earthwatch to offer this educator program to our 2009 participants."
To accomplish that goal, the Northrop Grumman Foundation partnered with Earthwatch Institute to develop two expeditions that will provide educators with a hands-on professional development opportunity, which will ultimately impact students' math and science education and help create the next generation of environmental ambassadors.
Eleven of the teacher awardees have been assigned to an expedition that will help preserve coastal ecology in the Bahamas, while 11 others are joining an expedition that will monitor climate change at the edge of the Arctic. The Bahamas expedition teams will focus on research sites at the archipelago's southern islands of Long Island, Great Exuma and Great Inagua. The Arctic project will take teachers to Churchill, Canada, on the coast of the Hudson Bay near the geographical center of the North American continent.
The scholarship recipients were selected through a competitive application process. All middle school teachers from respective communities were eligible to apply. The applicant's geographic region, potential contribution to the research, and follow-up curriculum plans were all taken into consideration. Criteria used to assign educators to expeditions included interests, skills, and availability, along with project need.
The Northrop Grumman Foundation supports diverse and sustainable programs for students and teachers. These programs create innovative education experiences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.