For Immediate Release
July 24, 2012

AFA Announces 2012 National Teacher of the Year

Arlington, VA – The Air Force Association is pleased to announce Lori Bradner, an educator at the Central Florida Aerospace Academy of Kathleen High School in Lakeland, Florida, as the 27th recipient of the National Aerospace Teacher of the Year Award.

Ms. Bradner will receive a plaque and a $3,000 prize for her achievement, to be presented at the AFA Field Awards Dinner on September 15, 2012, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center near Washington, DC. Cash prizes of $2,000 and $1,000 were awarded respectively to second and third place winners, Heidi Steinbrink of Ohio and Peter Schurke of Washington.

Ms. Bradner has been teaching since 2008, and now teaches exclusively in the fields of Advanced Science and Technology. After earning a Bachelors of Science in Zoology and Genetics at Michigan State University, she continued her education by pursuing graduate work in both Physiology and Education.

As a passionate educator, Ms. Bradner motivates her students to be complex problem solvers in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). She believes that a classroom should be an environment of curiosity and innovation. Having completed a certificate at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and attended Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Clown College, she draws upon her unique experiences as an actor and entertainer to spark her students’ creativity. Her goal is not to be an “answer-giver” for her students, but views herself as an “actor” whose role is to encourage students into finding solutions.

Ms. Bradner is an active member of many organizations that advocate STEM education and her work has been rewarded. For example, she was selected as a 2012 NASA Women in STEM Education High School Scholar Teacher and the 2011 Reach for the Stars Teacher of the Year. She was one of only 80 people nationally selected to participate on NASA’s Reduced Gravity Flight, a program where teachers propose, design, build, test and fly a microgravity experiment aboard the Zero G aircraft.

Ms. Bradner also served in community leadership roles, establishing the first ever Space Camp in Polk County, coordinating a “sister” program with a Norwegian school, founding and acting as Unit Commander for the CFAA Civil Air Patrol Squadron, and acting as a faculty advisor for student extracurricular activities.

“Ms. Bradner has embodied true leadership, not only as a STEM educator but also as a leader in her community,” said George Muellner, AFA’s Vice Chairman of the Board for Aerospace Education. “Her unique educational background has given her an ability to approach teaching with an innovative style – a much revered skill to motivating today’s youth. Moreover, she continually strives to make a difference in the lives of each and every student she encounters, and the Air Force Association is proud to welcome her as its newest National Aerospace Teacher of the Year recipient.”

AFA’s National Aerospace Teacher of the Year award recognizes classroom teachers at the national level for their accomplishments and achievements in building enthusiasm among K-12 students about STEM, and preparing them to use these skills and contribute to tomorrow’s technologies. For more information on the National Aerospace Teacher of the Year program, contact The Field Operations Department at field@afa.org.

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