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Happy New Year!
We hope 2024 has gotten off to a fantastic start in your squadrons and classrooms. As 2024 begins, we wanted to remind our AEOs and AEMs of the highlights of 2023 in Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Education. If you haven't seen this video, click the link above.
Looking ahead, we have some news to help make 2024 the best AE year yet! We are happy to announce the dates and site of the 2024 National AEO School. Check out the details in this newsletter. Also, find out information about April's North American Solar Eclipse and how to involve your squadrons and classrooms.
ACE teachers, start preparations now for the Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE) year-end award nominations -- due in late April.
As always, if you have any information you'd like to see highlighted in upcoming newsletters, contact us at ae@capnhq.gov.
Wishing you all the best in Aerospace/STEM in 2024!
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THIS MONTH: Program updates - News and Events - AE Safety Check - Curriculum - Important things to know | |
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PROGRAM UPDATES
AND THE WINNERS ARE ...
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Will your name be called?
Will your school be called?
Will one of your students be called?
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Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE) Teachers,
Here's a reminder that we are searching for an ACE Teacher of the Year, an ACE Student of the Year, and an ACE School of the Year. Now is the time to promote the great work being done in your classrooms and schools. Brag, be a show off, tell all of the fabulous aerospace activities that have been, and still are, going on in your classroom. National headquarters is accepting nominations until Thursday, April 25. Applications can be submitted via mail, email, or fax. Along with national publicity, the following prizes are provided to winners in these three categories:
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ACE Student of the Year: plaque and $50
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ACE Teacher of the Year: plaque and a $250 grant to be used as needed
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ACE School of the Year: plaque and $250 grant to be used as needed
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Nomination forms are linked below and can also be found in your ACE Teacher’s Guide. Make sure to send any additional information to support your nominee with the nominations form (pictures, newspaper articles, student work samples).
Remember, BRAG, SHOW OFF, BOAST, TOOT YOUR OWN HORN!! We can’t wait to hear about the awesome aerospace activities happening in your school!
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Aerospace Education Excellence (AEX) Program | |
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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.
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Save the date for the 2024 National AEO School
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Aerospace Education Officers, discover the 411 of 50-1 -- Civil Air Patrol Pamphlet 50-1, that is. CAPP 50-1 is the handbook for AEOs that outlines the duties and responsibilities of AEOs and the resources available to them,
Who: Aerospace Education Officers (AEOs)
What: 21st National AEO School provides five days of presentations, hands-on activities, field trips and networking opportunities that give attendees tools to be successful in accomplishing the AE mission at their squadron, group, wing, or region. CAPP 50-1 comes to life.
When: June 24 through June 28
Where: Patrick Space Force Base, Cocoa Beach, Florida
Registration will open in March. More details will follow in the February AE Monthly Newsletter.
If you are interested in submitting a proposal to be a presenter at the school, please click the link below and submit your proposal by February 20.
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Prepare now to participate in CAP's
Solar Eclipse Citizen Science Mission
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On Monday, April 8, North America will be crossed by a solar eclipse. To make the most of this unique celestial event, the Rocky Mountain Region of CAP has partnered with NASA’s GLOBE Observer program to provide AEMs' students and Civil Air Patrol members with the opportunity to become solar eclipse citizen scientists.
AEMs and CAP members who are educators can register their classroom, school, or program as CAP Solar Eclipse Classrooms. AEMs will also have the option to attend professional development webinars with subject matter experts such as astronomers and meteorologists, as well as request guest presentation from a CAP Solar Eclipse Ambassador.
CAP squadrons will continue to have the opportunity to create teams of 5 to 10 members who will work together to collect weather data tracking changes in cloud cover, air temperature, and wind speed/direction. They will also use Civil Air Patrol’s radio capabilities to capture the second continent wide dataset, charting the effect of solar eclipses on VHF radios. We have the goal to have CAP Solar Eclipse Teams collecting data in each of CAP’s 52 wings.
Both registered CAP Solar Eclipse Teams and CAP Solar Eclipse Classrooms will have the opportunity to order CAP branded solar eclipse glasses. These glasses are being sold at cost.
To learn more about Civil Air Patrol’s Solar Eclipse Citizen Science Mission or to register a CAP Solar Eclipse Team or CAP Solar Eclipse Classroom, click the link below. For additional questions, contact Capt. Shannon Babb, Solar Eclipse Citizen Science Mission Director and Rocky Mountain Region DCS/AE.
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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 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.) | |
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KEEPING TRACK OF MATERIALS
Did you get everything back after an AE activity? How do you keep track of the X-acto knives, scissors, and other materials that you provide to your AE students? Keeping track of sharp, toxic, and other materials is as important as the safety briefing that you give about using them. Depending on the item, you can consider putting a numbered tag on them (available at any office supply store), numbering them with indelible marker, etching a number into them, or other similar methods to make sure you get everything back that you handed out. That way, when the items are returned at the end of your class, you can easily determine if you still have a full set or not. Should an item go missing, it may be found by someone who did not receive your safety briefing -- increasing the probability that they might get hurt.
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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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CURRICULUM SPOTLIGHT
Bernoulli's Tongue
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In this lesson, students will learn about Daniel Bernoulli and the Bernoulli principle. They will understand the effect of air flowing over a curved surface. They will learn this in a fun way -- by constructing masks with tissue paper streamer tongues and paper bags and observing the effects of the air flowing over the "tongues." The lesson is found in Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE) Grade 3 Instructor Guide as Academic Lesson #2. Or find it here. | |
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. | |
AEOs: There is an FAQ page for AEOs on the website | |
There is an 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. | |
You can update your eServices profile information. Here's how: | |
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. | |
AEMs: Is it time to renew your membership? | |
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: Reach out to AEMs whose memberships expire soon | |
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AEOs, the start of a new year 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.
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