APOPKA, Fla., Nov. 15, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thirty teachers from Orange County Public Schools built bridges, catapults and wind turbines; heard from industry experts on pursuing engineering degrees at major universities; and learned how to best integrate science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) concepts into their classroom activities during Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Teachers and Engineers for Academic Achievement (TEAACH) program held at its Laser Systems facility.
Participants included teachers from Glenridge Middle, Douglas Jameson Elementary, Wolf Lake Middle, Piedmont Lakes Middle, Chain of Lakes Middle, Meadow Brook Middle, Hunters Creek Middle, Union Park Middle, Bridgewater Middle and Maitland Middle Schools.
During the two-day event, teachers attended formal presentations given by Northrop Grumman engineers on STEM topics such as "The Crisis in Engineering" and "Encouraging Girls to Embrace Science and Math!"and toured the company's production areas. The Orlando Science Center collaborated with Northrop Grumman to create hands-on science-related classroom activities. Two of Northrop Grumman's WORTHY program students led one of the hands-on activities.
"Initiatives such as TEAACH enable Northrop Grumman to support teachers as well as students in promoting technical education," said Gordon Stewart, vice president and general manager of the Northrop Grumman's Laser Systems business unit. "If we can be successful in getting teachers excited about STEM, they will be successful in motivating their students to pursue STEM related degrees and careers."
The TEAACH program targets middle-school math and science teachers specifically due to the shortage of U.S. college graduates in these disciplines, a development that bodes ill for the nation's industries that depend on talented engineers, scientists and mathematicians. Since studies have indicated that most children make the decision to pursue math/science education and careers during middle school, Northrop Grumman developed the TEAACH program to engage teachers, who are key influencers in the lives of students during these crucial years.
To learn more about Northrop Grumman's TEAACH Program, please visit http://www.es.northropgrumman.com/community/teaach/
Northrop Grumman is one of the world's leading manufacturers of military Electro-Optical (EO) targeting systems. These include ground-based (man portable, handheld, and vehicle mounted) EO imaging/ranging systems for target location, laser designators/markers for precise guidance of smart munitions, and airborne laser rangefinders and designators fielded onboard many of the world's most sophisticated manned and unmanned aircraft.
Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.