Ascension Parish Public Schools teacher Krystal Swain won the Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Education Member of the Year award for Louisiana.
She was also named a finalist for the National Aerospace Education Member of the Year.
“Swain is so full of excitement about teaching, students, aerospace education and professional improvement,” CAP Lt. Col. Kathy Beauford said, “What amazes me about her is not only what she has accomplished, but also what lies ahead. Her intelligence, curiosity, dedication, talents, and accomplishments all speak to a career full of promise.”
Dutchtown Middle School’s AeroSTEM program, led by Swain, is setting new standards in STEM education. Swain has transformed two classrooms into advanced STEM and Flight Labs, complete with flight simulators, drones, STEM kits, and student-engineered prototypes.
Due to the program’s popularity, there is now a one-year waiting list for her AeroSTEM and STEM Pathways to Careers classes, which led to the creation of an afterschool STEM program.
“This class explores so much more than the average STEM class. Students are having fun and learning — and that is what it is all about,” Swain said. “Students gain interest and a strong foundation in this true Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics class that they will take with them and will allow them to thrive and be able to successfully contribute in real-world endeavors to come in the future.”
As an Aerospace Education Officer, Swain has integrated Civil Air Patrol programs and STEM kits into her curriculum. She is currently training to become the Louisiana Director of External Aerospace Education and will be leading the Moon Extravaganza at the Louisiana Wing Academy this fall.
Swain is committed to continuous professional development, attending enrichment programs such as SEEC in Houston and The NEED Project in Philadelphia. She is a LIGO-trained educator, a NASA LiftOff Institute alumna, and a Certified NASA/JSC Lunar and Meteorite Sample Ambassador. Additionally, she has contributed to state and district-level educational committees, including the Louisiana science standards and LEAP stimulus and questioning committee.
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2024-08-26 21:00:36