THIS MONTH: Program updates - National AE Awards reminders - AE Safety Check - Member story - Curriculum - Important things to know

National AE Awards Deadlines

If anyone in ANY squadron, group, wing, or classroom/educational setting desires to submit a national AE award nomination package to the appropriate wing-level awards POC, January 15 is the deadline. This will allow a wing (state) winner to be selected for each of CAP’s National AE Awards. The wing (state) winner will then be moved up for regional consideration for each award by February 15. The region will then submit the one winner for each category to national headquarters by March 15. National winners in each category will be selected by May 15.

• Winners at the wing and region level will be recognized by the wing or region at an appropriate time.
• National winners will be informed by Maj. Gen. Edward Phelka, CAP national commander, in time to try to plan to attend the August CAP national conference

NOTES OF IMPORTANCE:

1) Internal (unit members) nomination packages for all awards should be processed via eServices/Personnel/Award Recommendation/Submission. 

a) The #6 Justification section does not fulfill the AE award requirements for each award, so a paragraph can be entered there with the full award nomination being completed and entered in the #7 document upload section.

b) Ensure that the appropriate award form (all linked below) and award elements are completed and submitted in the #7 section of document uploads. 

• A complete package can be combined as one PDF and uploaded if it does not exceed 3MB. 
• Two extra documents (not to exceed 3MB) can be added (combined PDF pages of photos and such which meet the page number criteria for the award).

c) Follow each award’s guidance and page limits.  

2) The Air & Space Forces National Outstanding CAP AE Cadet of the Year award is still not included in the drop-down box for submissions; so please send any nomination package to the wing DAE (and copy afa@capnhq.gov, if needed). The DAE will then ensure the nomination package is worked through the wing and region selections and the winning regional winner sent to afa@capnhq.gov.

a) Follow all award guidance and page limit.

3) The National CAP Teacher of the Year award submissions may not work for all teacher nomination packages. 

a) If the teacher is a uniformed member of a unit, the teacher is eligible and the online submission process will work. 

• If a teacher who is a member of a squadron is nominated, the award should be for classroom teaching work, and the unit AE work should just be a supplemental part of the nomination package. Most photos should reflect classroom teaching, state or national educator workshop presentations, etc. If a photo of squadron AE work fits in the overall narrative, that would be appropriate as supplemental. 

b) If the teacher is an Aerospace Education Member (AEM), the teacher is eligible but online process will NOT work. 

• Thus, any AEM submission should be sent to ae@capnhq.gov and our AE team will forward the nomination package to the appropriate Director of AE. 
• ANY teacher in CAP is eligible for the National CAP Teacher of the Year award! A teacher does not need to be a member of a squadron; all AEMs are also eligible.

c) Follow the award guidance and page limit.

4) All Frank G. Brewer National Memorial AE Award category guidance should be followed for each of these award nomination packages.

a) Brewer Category I - CAP Cadet Member

b) Brewer Category II - CAP Senior Member 

c) Brewer Category III - Individual or Organization Supporting CAP but not a CAP member)

d) Brewer Category IV Lifetime Achievement (CAP member of twenty or more years)

(Pictured: Virginia Wing’s Lt. Col. Constance Muncy is presented the Brewer Lifetime Award by Maj. General Edward Phelka, CAP national commander, at the 2023 National CAP conference in Bellevue, Washington.)

As of December 15, award package requests can be submitted to afa@capnhq.gov and will be shipped to each squadron for one Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) outstanding CAP squadron cadet award per squadron. The request form is found on the webpage.

• The cadet does not need to be selected to request the award package. The selection and presentation can take place during December, or at any time during the 2024 calendar year.
• Connecting with the closest AFA chapter to have a representative make the presentation is strongly encouraged.
• The downloadable certificate is provided on the webpage.
• An after-action report and presentation photo is requested after the presentation. (Form is found on webpage.)

Do not let this opportunity pass to recognize a worthy cadet in the squadron, compliments of the AFA’s Aerospace Education Council.  

(Pictured: Chief Master Sgt. Chick Duncan, USAF (Ret), Indiana State AFA President, presents Cadet 1st Lt William J. Munro of the GLR-IN-220 River City Cadet Squadron his AFA outstanding squadron cadet award. Chief Master Sgt. Duncan also shared his experiences as a CAP cadet with the squadron.)

FEATURED STEM KIT - BEE-BOT/SPACE ROVER: 

The Bee-Bot/Space Rover STEM Kit is an exciting kit designed to teach young children entry-level, hands-on coding principles without the use of computers or internet. This kit has a new look. It is formerly the Bee-Bot/Code & Go Mouse STEM Kit. Recipients will receive one Bee-Bot robot (with associated Skills Mat) (pictured, above) and one Space Rover set (pictured, right). An early learning coding tip sheet is available in the Learning Management Systems section of CAP's member portal, eServices, in addition to lessons and additional suggestions to guide the recipients in implementing the wide range of Bee-Bot/Space Rover learning options. Instructors can also use this kit to introduce, teach, and reinforce a variety of subjects. This kit offers a great opportunity for older youth to teach younger students beginning coding skills. The possibilities are endless! It is recommended for ages 4 and older.

Aerospace Education Excellence (AEX) Program

AEX Award registration for squadrons and AEMs:  

Make sure your squadron or classroom applies for the 2023-2024 AEX Award program in eServices. AEX program activities should take place from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 each year. Activities and resources are available in eServices, AE Downloads and Resources, and on the AE website, Lessons and Activity Videos and Aerospace/STEM Resources.  

To learn more about the AEX Program, click the link below.

News and Events

AEOs: How did you prepare for the Yeager test?

Last month, we asked for your materials and suggestions that members can use when preparing for the Yeager exam. Thanks to all of you who provided your recommendations to date. It’s not too late to submit your suggestions. We realize that different people learn by different methods; so, we are looking for a variety of types, such as videos, chapter summaries, recordings, tricks of the trade, etc. that have proven successful in your wing or unit. In the future, they will be posted to the AE page to make them available to support our members’ achievement of the Yeager.

If you have something that you recommend, we would love to see it and consider it for inclusion in this repository. Please contact Lt. Col. Karen Cooper, National AE Manager, to discuss your item at kcooper@ner.cap.gov.

(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 monthly feature is Lt. Col. Karen Cooper, National AE Manager, who works in safety and risk management on the AE National Headquarters Staff and is also the Northeast Region DCS/Aerospace Education.)

If you have a safety topic you would like to be included in this space, please email kcooper@ner.cap.gov.

In this lesson, students and cadets will learn about imaging radar and how it is used to create a picture of the terrain on Earth or any other planet, such as Mars. They will simulate radar imaging by using a stick to identify the topography of objects hidden in a box topped with a grid sheet. Then, they will record their findings on a Grid Data Sheet to help them identify what is hidden in the box. The lesson is found in Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE) Grade 6 Instructor Guide as Academic Lesson # 6 Or find it here.

Meet 2nd Lt. Christine Klein, Aerospace Education Officer (AEO) for Homestead Air Reserve Base Cadet Squadron in Homestead, Florida. She joined CAP in June 2022 in support of her son, a cadet. "The program stole my heart as I witnessed the dedication, transformation and endless opportunities," she says, "not just for my own son and his fellow cadets, but for all that were involved." Though she has been a member for less than two years, she has enthusiastically embraced her service in CAP. "With the unwavering support, inspiration and mentorship from our squadron leaders," she says, "I was encouraged and motivated not only to teach within our squadron, but also to utilize the educational outreach programs of other entities and collaborate on the combined mission to further deepen the knowledge and understanding of aerospace education." This past spring, Klein and the squadron volunteered at Homestead "Wings Over Miami" Air Show. "How fantastic to meet so many amazing professional individuals and new families, to see some cool aircraft, to educate people on what we do, but ‘best’ of all, to see all of us come together as a team!" she says. A former kindergarten teacher whose family shares a passion for astronomy and space, she naturally gravitated toward the aerospace education mission of CAP. "The Aerospace Education mission speaks to me deeply, simply because of the broad spectrum of topics and the myriad of activities that can be incorporated," she says. "It is the most rewarding teaching endeavor I have been part of," she says. Click the link below to read her full story.

Each month, this space features important highlights or answers to frequently asked questions. Here are four things you need to know as an AEM or AEO.

There is a new FAQ page for AEOs on the Aerospace Education web pages of GoCivilAirPatrol.com. You will find answers to your questions about serving as an AEO. This will especially be good to check out for new AEOs, but veteran AEOs might find some answers to questions they have as well. We encourage all AEOs to check out this page Here is an example of one of the questions and the answer. Follow the link to find out.

Sign into eServices and click on your name in the top right-hand corner. Update your email address, mailing address, contact numbers, etc. This ensures you receive timely and pertinent information from CAP. If you are a teacher, ensure your primary email address is your home and your secondary email address is your school so that your annual renewal email and any other important information will not end up as spam in your school email account.

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.

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. 

Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Education

Contact: Aerospace Education

https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/ae