We send best wishes for a happy and safe holiday season for all!
This month's newsletter brings news of Civil Air Patrol's 80th Anniversary Celebration. In addition to marking that important milestone, it's also time to prepare to celebrate all the great work our members are doing in the Aerospace Education mission. So that CAP can recognize the excellent service and the impact it is making, we need your help. The first step of National Award deadlines is approaching in January. You will find in this newsletter 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, see how the ACE Program kicked off its year with the annual National Lift-off in Texas and read about the ACE Plus Adopt Program that connects squadrons and classrooms. Get an up-close look at one of our STEM Kits, and find out how you can take flight in a CAP aircraft in our TOP Flight program.
Our member story this month highlights a member from Virginia Wing. If you know of other outstanding member stories, we hope you will reach out to us at ae@capnhq.gov. Your story could be the next one told!
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THIS MONTH: Member stories - Program updates - Award updates - Events - AE Safety Check - Curriculum - Important things to know
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PROGRAM UPDATES
Aerospace Connections in Education Program
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The annual CAP K-6 Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE) program has lifted off for the 2021-2022 school year! Read more about the National ACE Lift-off event conducted at Creekside Elementary in Livingston, Texas, HERE.
See Creekside ACE Coordinator, Melanie Justice, in a video after the lift-off event HERE.
Are YOU a Face of ACE this year? If not, contact ace@capnhq.gov. Learn more about the program and how to register at the link below.
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CAP’s new ACE Plus Adopt program is designed for CAP squadrons to collaborate with local 5th- through 8th-grade ACE 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.
To learn more about the program, check out the link below.
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Learn about the AngLegs CAP AE STEM Kit |
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FEATURED STEM KIT: Cadets and students will learn how to classify shapes and angles using the AngLegs STEM Kit. This collection comes with six sets of AngLegs, two snap-on protractors, a set of activity cards, and a plastic tote. Cadets and students will become familiar with angles and move toward an exploration of angles, measurements, and figures while classifying these shapes. Each kit will have enough materials provided for a traditionally sized class or group of youth (approximately 25). The kit is recommended for ages 8 and older. Read about the kit and its connection to aviation at the link below. For instructions on how to order and to find other available kits, visit our STEM Kit web pages at the link below.
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Educator members, take flight with CAP! |
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Each educator member of CAP can take a Teacher Orientation Program (TOP) flight each year! It is easy to connect with each state’s Director of AE (list found HERE) to request a CAP flight over the teacher’s school and community.
Teachers are using the beautiful fall weather to schedule their flights to delight their students, who can view this flight via a school fly-over, a live-stream event or a video of the experience after the flight. Teachers can connect STEM concepts they are teaching with the applications of aeronautic principles of flight and aviation technology experienced during the pre-flight orientation and the in-flight opportunity for the teacher to actually fly the plane! To expand the program, pilots can then be invited to discuss aviation STEM and career opportunities with the students in person or via a virtual meeting. Plan to schedule a flight with a coworker or principal NOW and take YOUR teaching experiences “out of the classroom and into the sky!”
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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 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 the 2020 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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U.S. Space Force STEM Initiative |
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We have an opportunity to help the U.S. Space Force celebrate its second anniversary. Cadets, senior members and AEMs are invited to view virtual presentations to learn more about space. Follow the link below to register to participate in the U.S. Space Force STEM Initiative. |
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Civil Air Patrol Celebrates 80th Anniversary |
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Civil Air Patrol marked its 80th Anniversary Dec. 1. CAP members throughout the United States and in overseas squadrons celebrate the organization’s commitment to community service — a commitment that began on Dec. 1, 1941, and has continued for 80 years. More than 56,000 members (youth and adult members) volunteer their time and talent to perform essential emergency services, advance aerospace and STEM education, and provide youth programs that build character, enhance physical and mental fitness, and shape the leaders of tomorrow. Read the full story by clicking 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 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 DCS/Aerospace Education.)
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ALIGN ACTIVITIES WITH AGE OF PARTICIPANTS
When you are planning an AE Activity, make sure that the lesson, as well as the materials you are using, is aligned with the ages and maturity of your cadets/students. You already apply that critical eye to make sure that gifts are age appropriate. AE Activities work the same way. For example, there are AE lessons that recommend the use of dry cleaner bags, as the lesson requires a thin plastic. However, those same bags are also marked as "Keep Away from Children", which means that the lesson should not be used with a younger audience. There are others that use power tools. Keep in mind that there are many AE Activities that can be used for the age and maturity of your cadets/students, so if you have reservations about using a particular lesson for your audience, there are many more to choose from. To help -- the STEM kit page, that describes the kits that you can order, includes a recommended age range.
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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
Virginia AEO enjoys helping youth in their
journeys to aviation fields and STEM careers
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Meet Lt. Col. Constance "CJ" Muncy, Virginia Wing Internal Aerospace Education Officer and Assistant DAE. When she was a teen-ager, she wanted to join CAP, but her parents did not think "aviation was for girls." Not to be deterred, she joined later, helped to start a squadron, and has served more than 20 years with the organization. She has found aviation to be a great fit for her and even helped many youth through the years on their journeys into aviation fields and STEM careers. Her own interest in aviation, like many, was sparked by the first steps on the moon in 1969. "I didn't know what I wanted to do -- but something with space or flying," she recalls. After getting an aviation technology degree, she has worked in the aviation industry with a major airline, regional airlines and a charter jet company. Her interest has been anything aviation and space related. She is also the Winchester Composite Squadron AEO and serves as the Deputy Commander for Cadets. She has been the CyberPatriot coach for six years and Chief of Staff for three Virginia Wing Cyber Camps and two NCSA Cyber Academies. She hopes to help youth have more opportunities than she had growing up. "The most rewarding aspect is seeing cadets grow through the program, go off to the military or college and come back to participate or show how their experience helped them succeed and be responsible citizens." Click the link below to read her full story. |
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"I work in the AE mission because I want children -- both male and female -- to have the opportunity that I didn't -- to help inspire their future and the future of the world. "
-- Lt. Col. Constance "CJ" Muncy, Virginia Wing
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CURRICULUM
From Football to Flight
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It's that time of the year when high stakes-football games, college and NFL, are drawing attention. Did you know CAP has a football lesson? The lesson, From Football to Flight, is part of the Grade 6 curriculum for CAP's Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE) program. Students will learn about Leland Melvin, a former NFL player who became an astronaut. They will also learn about the aerodynamics of a tight spin vs. a wobbly spin. They will use the Rocket Football manipulative, pictured, which is provided to every sixth-grader in the ACE program. The activity is Physical Fitness Lesson #5 in the ACE Grade 6 Guide. Click below to view the lesson.
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Each month, this space features important highlights or answers to frequently asked questions. Here are three things you need to know now as an AEM or AEO.
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You can update your eServices profile information. Here's how: |
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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.
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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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