CCHS Teacher Attends NASA Shuttle Launch And Workshops

Prior to the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour, U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon, center, meets with Middle Tennessee educators, including Cannon County High School teacher Norma Lewis, third from left.

A Cannon County High School math teacher recently traveled to Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., to attend NASA educational workshops and see the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour as a guest of U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon. Norma Lewis was one of 10 teachers from Middle Tennessee selected to attend the workshops and launch held on March 10 and11.

“The trip to see the Space Shuttle launch was a fantastic experience,” said Lewis. “My favorite part of the trip was the launch, of course. Also, getting to see the Shuttle Atlantis up close and seeing and learning about the heat tiles that we hear so much about was extremely interesting. The trip was a wonderful experience and I hope other teachers get the opportunity to participate in this program.”

Gordon worked with NASA officials to develop an itinerary to help the teachers take the experience back to their classrooms. While at Kennedy Space Center, the teachers participated in workshops to help spark students’ interest in rocketry and technology used by astronauts, such as robotic arms.

After the workshops, the teachers stayed up until the early morning hours on Tuesday to attend a midnight pre-launch briefing and see a rare night launch of the space shuttle Endeavour, which lit up the sky before disappearing above the clouds. After the successful launch, the group had the opportunity to join other VIP guests for beans and cornbread, a tradition that dates back to the first successful shuttle launch.

“I hope this experience will help these teachers inspire their students and generate excitement about careers in math, science and other technical fields,” said Gordon. “When you ask astronauts, engineers and other scientists about what inspired them to enter their fields, they will often tell you a teacher sparked their interest.”

As chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee, Gordon has placed a priority on strengthening K-12 math and science education. The issue was a key component of the congressman’s America COMPETES Act, which aims to keep the United States competitive in today’s global marketplace. The bill, also championed by Sen. Lamar Alexander, became law last year.