We send best wishes for a happy and safe holiday season to all! The traditions of the season may look different this year, but we hope your celebrations are plentiful.
This month's newsletter celebrates the members of CAP's Aerospace Education mission. Even in the midst of a pandemic, our members have excelled in the AE mission. So that CAP can recognize all the good work, we need your help. The first step of National Award deadlines is approaching in January. You will find important information on awards for AEOs, cadets and teachers. Please nominate individuals or organizations so that they can be recognized for their excellence.
Also this month, read about the unveiling of CAP's new Adopt-a-Classroom program to connect CAP squadrons to local 6th-grade teachers. In addition, see how the ACE Program kicked off its year with the annual National Lift-off.
Our featured AEO this month is Capt. Patrick Healey, who began his CAP career as a cadet in 1964. If you follow the link to his story, you will find some great tips on using CAP STEM Kits in a squadron or classroom. Our featured AEM, Meghan Salter, developed a drone program for her young elementary students. If you follow the link to her story, you will see amazing videos of her school's "Drone Olympics."
A new monthly feature in the newsletter will be an update on AE safety to keep this important topic in the forefront. Let us know if you have topics you would like to see covered.
Speaking of safety, continue to be well and be safe! Thank you for everything you do to promote aerospace/STEM education! Happy Holidays!
THIS MONTH: Member stories - Program updates - AE Safety Check -
Awards update - Curriculum - Region and Wing events - Important things to know
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PROGRAM UPDATES
CAP introduces Adopt-a-Classroom Program
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CAP is launching a new program to connect squadrons with local 6th-grade teachers to build relationships in the local educational community that stimulate interest in aerospace-related STEM subjects/careers and awareness of CAP and its youth programs. See the news article here.
To learn more about the program, check out the video made by the Adopt-a-Classroom Ambassadors, Lt. Col. Brian Schmuck and Cadet C/MSgt. Rylee Schmuck from CAP's Indiana Wing. Click on the image above to see the video.
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The AEM application has a new look! |
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Please use the updated AEM application when recruiting new AEMs. The old application may be used through March 31, 2021. After that date, only the new application will be accepted by membership services. Members may now indicate the CAP Member Recruiter on all AEM applications. |
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Aerospace Connections in Education Program |
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The annual CAP K-6 Aerospace Connections in Education program has lifted off for the 2020-2021 school year! Read more about the National ACE Lift-off event conducted at Silver Sands School in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, here. See video of lift-off event here.
Are YOU a Face of ACE this year? If not, contact ace@capnhq.gov. Learn more about the program at the link below.
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CAP seeks to reward its members with national-level awards each year. But, those awards have to originate from a Squadron or Group level (if for AEOs or cadets) and at the Wing level (if for educators). All awards are due to the Wing by January 15 each year for consideration at the Wing level. Wing winners will be sent to the Region by February 15 to be considered at that level. By March 15, all Region award winners should be sent to CAP NHQ/AE at ae@capnhq.gov. To find out about each award, click below.
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CAP's National AE Teacher of the Year |
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ATTENTION AEMs: CAP is proud to honor an outstanding CAP educator member with the National AE Teacher of the Year award. To nominate yourself or someone else, please complete the nomination form here. Submit the completed nomination package to ae@capnhq.gov not later than January 15! All nomination information is found on the CAP Teacher Awards page at the link below. Scroll down that page to see last year’s winning teacher, Lt. Col. James Peace from Michael R. Null Middle School in Houston, Texas, who is also a CAP uniformed member who teaches CAP to his students!
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Air Force Association Award for Squadron Cadets |
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ATTENTION, AEOs: This is a reminder for squadron commanders to submit an award request for the annual AFA’s CAP Outstanding Squadron Cadet award until January 15. Simply complete the request form on the webpage and submit to afa@capnhq.gov, and an award package will be mailed to you. For more information, click the link below.
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(Welcome to AE Safety Check! These safety nuggets are things to think about as you lead or participate in an Aerospace Education activity. The writer of this new monthly feature is Lt. Col. Karen Cooper, who works in safety and risk management on the AE National Headquarters Staff and is also the Northeast Region Assistant DCS/Aerospace Education.)
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BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS
Situational Awareness – a fancy term that means you should always be aware of your surroundings. In AE, that could be a lot of things. Have you ever seen someone run out on the field after firing their rocket – forgetting that what goes up will come down, possibly on top of them? Have you seen someone put down an X-acto knife without retracting the blade? Or even worse – anything that follows the statement, “Hey, watch this!” Be aware of the people and things around you during an AE event, and most of all – feel free to speak up! We will all be glad you did.
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If you have a safety topic you would like to be included in this space, please email kcooper@ner.cap.gov.
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AEO STORY
Florida AEO, a former cadet and retired commercial pilot, works to lead youth toward their dreams
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Meet Capt. Patrick Healey of Florida Wing. He is the AEO of St. Augustine Composite Squadron (SER-FL-173) and a CAP pilot and instructor pilot. His Civil Air Patrol career started as a cadet in California in 1964 (pictured, right). As a cadet, he studied famed World War I Ace Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, wrote him a letter asking him how to be an airline pilot and received a personal two-page letter that his mom framed for him. It was his mom and his AEO dentist who convinced him to join CAP, but it was his first cadet Orientation Flight that made him stay. He vividly remembers it more than 55 years later. After a flying career with the U.S. Navy and commercial airlines, Capt. Healey retired four years ago and reconnected with Civil Air Patrol. Now, he has changed seats from his cadet Orientation Flight to be the pilot for cadets today. As an AEO and with the framed Rickenbacker core values letter still in his office, he works to bring aerospace curriculum to life for his cadets so that they can reach their dreams. He has numerous creative ideas for working with CAP STEM Kits and other curriculum. Click the link below to read the full story. |
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"Because of the CAP program, I was hooked on aerospace. With experience, comes the insight to understand how important it is to share so others may get the spark and achieve their personal goals, also. Now, I am trying to help the cadets where I was helped."
-- Capt. Patrick Healey, Florida Wing
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AEM STORY
West Virginia AEM encourages her students
to take on new challenges and 'never stop learning'
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Meet Meghan Salter, a Special Education/Gifted Education elementary teacher in Barboursville, West Virginia. She wants to mentor children to "never stop learning." She tells her students, "Nobody in the class will ever judge you for trying something new." As a teacher, she models that attitude. With the help of a friend, she introduced small UAS flight to her students and noticed how interested they were in it. She now holds annual "Drone Olympics" with her students. She believes drone education is important for even elementary school students because they are skilled enough to succeed in it. Now that she has Civil Air Patrol's RTF UAS STEM Kit, she plans to incorporate that into her classes when students return to in-person instruction. Click the link below to read the full story. |
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"I want to inspire my students to do great things. Socioeconomic status should not define who you are as a learner. It is my personal goal as a teacher to encourage my students to do great things if they work hard in life."
-- Meghan Salter, West Virginia AEM
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CURRICULUM
Do You See What I See?
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In this astronomy lesson for young learners, students will make connections with their own experiences looking at a night sky. Then, students will identify star patterns in a cluster of stars and associate constellations with stories. "Do You See What I See?" is found as Grade 1 Academic Lesson #9 in CAP's Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE) Program first-grade guide. Or click the link below or the image above. |
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ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
Rocky Mountain Region is hosting a Virtual Aerospace Education Officer School January 16, 2021. The event organizers would like to make this school available to all regions for those that need an AEO school. Right now, the region is looking for instructors for the January school, and the deadline to apply is December 31, 2020. Click the link below for the instructor application.
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If you have an event to be included in this space, please email ae@capnhq.gov.
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Each month, this space features important highlights or answers to frequently asked questions. Here are two things you need to know now as an AEM or AEO.
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AEMs: Is it time to renew your membership? |
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All Aerospace Education Members (AEMs) are offered an annual FREE “in-kind renewal." The online renewal email is sent 60 days prior to the membership expiration date. A renewal banner appears at the top of the eServices sign-in page 90 days prior to expiring. (You can’t renew earlier than 90 days.) Find additional information at the link below. Thinking that due to the pandemic you cannot participate in CAP’s AE programs? That may be partly true, but when we get back to “normal,” you will wish you kept your membership current, so do not let it expire!
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AEOs: Reach out to AEMs whose memberships expire soon |
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AEOs, this is the perfect time to reach out to your AEMs whose memberships expire within 60 days or whose memberships have expired. For more guidance, see Recruiting and Retention of AEMs on the AEO Resources page link below.
Please note: CAP has several categories of membership, but each member can only be assigned one category of membership. Any adult uniformed member, who is an educator, may access all the resources available to an AEM. And, we wish to encourage our AEMs to “hang on” until the end of the pandemic and continue renewing their membership. Once things are back to “normal,” they will be glad they did!
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Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Education
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