Aerospace Education
Leading America into the next Century
E
STABLISHED IN 1956, the Aerospace Education Foundation is a non-profit educational institution affiliated with the Air Force Association. The Foundation's scholarships and educational programs are supported through tax deductible contributions from AFA members and organizations, industry and others worldwide.The Foundation's fundamental mission is to increase public
understanding and appreciation for the central role of
aerospace in the nation's defense and economic health, today
and in the future. To accomplish this mission, AEF is focused
on using its national resources to support a range of national
and local programs. Specifically, the Foundation seeks to:
Inform the American people about aerospace to ensure effective decision making.
Provide aerospace educational opportunities to America's students -- ranging from elementary school through graduate school.
Encourage and support Air Force Association, Air Force and aerospace community educational programs.
Assist Air Force Association chapters, organizations and members in building and operating aerospace educational programs in local communities.
AEF's affiliation with AFA provides an effective
partnership for promoting aerospace education nationally and
for delivering aerospace education programs locally.
National Vision: Local Focus
In recent years, the Aerospace Education Foundation has focused its resources in two areas: (1) national programs that provide information about aerospace to the public, AFA and Air Force. This effort involves expanding the dialog about the directions aerospace must take for the future health and security of the nation; and (2) AFA chapter and local educational programs. The second of these represents the greater investment of time, energy and funds for the Foundation. In fact, since 1994, more than two-thirds of the Foundation's annual expenditures is on AFA chapter and other local programs.
AFA Region Vice Presidents
AFA's regional vice presidents also play a significant role in the Foundation's programs. Since aerospace education is a primary mission of the Air Force Association itself, the regional vice president is intimately involved in aerospace education activities at the national and regional level, and serves as a primary means of facilitating communication between the Foundation and AFA chapters in each region.
In addition, the region vice president operates the AEF Regional Teachers of the Year program. This program, described in more detail below, awards a Regional Teacher of the Year annually to each AFA region. This program is fully the responsibility of the region vice president. AEF establishes the award and provides certificates, personalized jackets and checks for $500 to each region vice president for presentation to the winner. But, the criteria that govern the award, the process for selecting the awardee and the schedule for presenting the award each year are exclusively the domain of the region vice president.
Aerospace Education Vice Presidents
AFA Chapters and State Organizations are on the front line in education. It is at the chapter level that programs can be targeted to meet the needs of Americans and our students. In 1986, the Foundation established the Aerospace Education Vice President (AEVP) program, which makes AFA state and chapter aerospace education vice presidents the primary point of contact for AEF programs,. If your chapter has not appointed an Aerospace Education Vice President, we urge you to do so and submit the name to the Foundation.
Several of the Foundation's nationwide programs to support AFA state and chapter educational efforts operate through the aerospace education vice president. The Eagle Grants, Visions of Exploration, Chapter Matching Grant and Teachers of the Year programs, for example, operate through the chapter aerospace education vice president.
AEVP's serve the AEF/AFA mission by disseminating information to their members and the communities they serve; by operating local aerospace education programs; by securing AEF support for local programs; and -- perhaps most important -- by communicating their aerospace education needs to the AEF Officers, Trustees and staff to ensure that Foundation programs are responsive to local needs. Examples of participation include distributing copies of Foundation studies and reports; representing the local AFA chapter on Eagle Grants scholarship awards boards and making the presentation at local Air Force base Community College of the Air Force graduation ceremonies; working with local schools to establish aerospace education curricula using the Visions of Exploration program or other programs; informing teachers and other educators about the AEF Educator Grants program; assisting local Junior ROTC Units and encouraging participation in the annual AEF JROTC Contest; and participate; operating the local Teachers of the Year program; and in developing nominations for the Foundation's national awards programs: the Christa McAuliffe Memorial Award (National Teacher of the Year), the Sam Keith Award for Excellence in Aerospace Education (outstanding aerospace education chapter), and the George D. Hardy Award (AFA member making the most outstanding contribution to aerospace education.)
The Foundation supports educational activities of a variety of Air Force, government and private organizations. Among them are: Air Force Junior and Senior ROTC as well as organizations such as the Civil Air Patrol, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Young Astronauts Program, Wright Flight, and others. In addition, the Foundation works with other Foundations and Associations as partners aerospace educational ventures. Among them are the National Aeronautics Association, the U.S. Space Foundation, and the National Congress on Aerospace Education. AEF can provide AFA chapter leaders with samples of educational materials from these organizations as well as regional contacts.
AEF programs are principally geared toward supporting AFA chapter educational efforts. Even the national programs, such as AEF's publications, have a significant local potential. AE vice presidents can use those publications to enhance chapter programs by distributing them to schools, other civic organizations and local leaders. These programs can enhance chapter visibility in the local area and encourage identification of the local chapter as a strong and useful advocate for education, aerospace strength and defense in the community.
Scholarship Programs
Eagle Grants
The Eagle Grants are scholarships of $250 awarded to the top graduates of the Community College of the Air Force each year. Every Air Force base and many Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve installations receive Eagle Grants from the Foundation. The program operates through the local AFA chapter. AEF sends out applications direct to Air Force education offices and reminds those offices each year. The process for awarding the scholarship requires convening a local selection board. That board consists of an AFA chapter representative, the base education officer and the base senior enlisted advisor. This group makes the decision and forwards the winning applications to AEF, which then provides checks, certificates and salute (complimentary) membership in AFA to the AFA chapter representative (or someone else if so designated) for presentation.
Chapters should participate in the graduation ceremony and make the Eagle Grant awards at the ceremonies. More than 400 Eagle Grants were given to help top graduates of CCAF continue to pursue bachelor's degrees. In many areas, these $250 scholarships are supplemented by local AFA chapters.
Air Force Spouse Scholarships
Recognizing that a vital part of the Air Force community -- spouses -- face special challenges in completing their education and seeking careers, the Board created a new scholarship for spouses of Air Force active duty, Air National Guard and Reserve members. This program was immediately popular with more than 530 applications received for the ten scholarships. The first ten $1,000 scholarships were awarded in 1995, and the Foundation's Trustees doubled this program for 1996 -- to twenty scholarships.
Theodore von Karman Graduate Scholarships
The Foundation's Theodore von Karman Scholarship awarded annually to outstanding recent graduates of Air Force ROTC. These $5,000 scholarships fund graduate study in math, science or engineering for the newly commissioned second lieutenants.
Angel Flight/Silver Wings Society Scholarships
Annually AEF presents ten members of Angel Flight/Silver Wings with $1,000 scholarships. The scholarships recognize academic excellence, outstanding community service and leadership within Angel Flight/Silver Wings.
Many chapters fund scholarship programs of their own. If your chapter wants to establish a scholarship fund, the AEF is available to assist and answer questions about the process. If you already have a scholarship fund, please ensure that the AEF staff is aware of it, so they can make sure your chapter receives appropriate recognition for its efforts..
Foundation Publications
The Foundation publishes the proceedings of AFA's major national symposia each year. The symposia in Los Angeles, Colorado Springs, Dayton and Orlando are published each year in the Foundation Forum series. AEF also publishes special editions of the Forum when special symposia warrant it -- for example, AEF published a Forum on the ICBM symposium run by the Big Sky Chapter of AFA in 1995.
AEF also publishes two other series of occasional papers. The Air Force National Defense Fellows Papers and the Airpower and Defense Issues Papers. The National Defense Fellows Papers are written by the Air Force's National Defense Fellows who are spending a year studying at some of the nation's premier "think tanks" and universities. Included in these papers are such topics as VOLUNTEERISM in the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve; chemical and biological warfare; airlift operations; cybernetics and command and control; and others.
The Airpower and Defense series includes such papers as Firing For Effect, which discusses new ways to use airpower to achieve greater combat capability for US forces.
Other occasional papers are published by the Foundation on topics of special significance. For example, AEF published copies of the Air Force Magazine special report on the Enola Gay, and special reports on the nation's military space program and long range airpower.
Publicity and distribution of these and future, vital studies and reports published by the Foundation, are a key part of their success. AFA representatives may request copies of these works and distribute them to their local businesses and industry, their chambers of commerce, state governments and educators.
Educator Recognition
Christa McAuliffe Memorial Award
In the wake of the space shuttle Challenger tragedy, the Foundation established the Christa McAuliffe Memorial Award - an annual award designed to recognize an outstanding teacher who brings about a fundamental awareness of aerospace activities to his or her students. The winner is honored with a cash award at the annual AEF Awards Luncheon during the AFA Convention.
A call for nominations is sent to AFA chapter and state representatives each spring. Judging of the entries and selection of the winner is completed in early summer.
Regional and Local Teachers of the Year
The level of competition for the Foundation's annual Christa McAuliffe Teacher of the Year award is extremely high. Only one teacher is selected each year from a field of well qualified, dedicated teachers also deserving of recognition. To suitably recognize some of these teachers, and to enable AFA regional, state and local organizations to recognize outstanding educators, the Foundation created regional and local teacher awards. A "Teacher of the Year" is awarded in each AFA region with the winner receiving a check for $500 and an AFA jacket embroidered with the teacher's name and Teacher f the Year. This program is operated by AFA's regional vice presidents.
Local teachers of the year are awarded by AFA chapters. The criteria, number of awards, timing and selection process are set by the individual chapters. AEF provides a handsome, specially designed certificate contained in a blue presentation folder. Chapters can order those certificates by providing AEF with the name and school of the local winners, and they will be sent directly to the chapter for appropriate presentation.
The local teachers of the year program has great potential for AFA chapters. In recognizing local educational accomplishments, the chapter has the opportunity to focus the community's attention on the winning teachers, educational needs and -- significantly -- on the chapter's support for education. Few local news media can afford to ignore a ceremony presenting a local teacher of the year award.
Sam E. Keith Aerospace Education Award
AFA Chapters who undertake their own aerospace education programs may apply for recognition through the Sam E. Keith, Jr. Aerospace Education Award of Excellence.
Aerospace education programs that are run specifically by an AFA State or Chapter representative are eligible for recognition. A call for nominations is forwarded each spring. The winner is announced early summer and is honored at the AEF Luncheon held during the AFA National Convention each fall.
George D. Hardy Education Award
The Foundation has established the annual George D. Hardy Award to recognize the AFA member who makes the greatest contribution to aerospace education. This award joins the Sam Keith Award, which will be reserved for the AFA organization making the most outstanding contribution to aerospace education each year. The George D. Hardy Award will be presented at the 1996 AEF Luncheon.
Visions of Exploration Awards
Beginning in 1996, the Foundation and USA Today will present two awards to AFA chapters for their participation in the Visions of Exploration program. One award recognizes the chapter with the strongest overall Visions program. While the number of classrooms sponsored is a primary criteria for this award, it also will examine how the chapter capitalized on its Visions program to expand its relationship with, and support to, local schools.
The second award recognizes the chapter showing the greatest growth in its Visions effort during the year.
Air Force Junior ROTC Contest
For the past 20 years, AEF has sponsored the Air Force Junior ROTC Contest for the some 300 JROTC Units worldwide. This program supplements and reinforces the cadet's aerospace education and leadership courses and encourages cooperation between the AFJROTC Units, the Air Force and local AFA chapters. Winners are honored with cash awards and receive local and national AFA honors.
The program asks cadets to document, on videotape, a specific subject each year -- such as their best community service project or their efforts to meet the mission requirements of AFJROTC.
Announcement of the topic takes place each fall and units must register to compete by mid-December. Entries must be received by mid-April in order to qualify.
AFA representatives are encouraged to lend assistance to their local JROTC units thereby insuring the success of their contest entries. Assistance required is in the areas of logistics, resources, advisory support and establishing contacts.
AEF Support: Local Education Programs
Chapter Matching Grants
This AEF program encourages and assists AFA chapters with establishing new aerospace education activities. AEF matches a chapter expenditures on innovative and new aerospace education efforts up to $1,000. Chapters use these grants for a variety of exciting programs. Among those funded in the past were a new county-wide science fair in Florida; a space education program in Los Angeles; a mobile flight simulator lab for elementary students in Delaware; Wright Flight educational programs in Arizona and Florida; aerospace education workshops for teachers in Colorado; and several other notable efforts.
AEF presents up to 25 of these grants each year, although the number can be changed as funds are available. To apply for a chapter matching grant, a chapter fills out a short form, which AEF provides. The signatures of two chapter officers are required.
Direct Grants To Educators
A related AEF effort aims at helping teachers develop and use aerospace education activities within their classrooms. In this program, teachers request $250 grants from AEF to defray any expense associated with an aerospace education activity. The Educator Grants program provide more than 160 direct grants to teachers throughout the nation each year. Those grants give thousands of students aerospace educational experiences that local schools could not afford. Some students visited Air Force bases, airports, NASA facilities and aerospace museums; others had access to videos, software and books about aerospace; and hundreds had a chance to build and launch their own model rockets.
Chapter can request copies of the Educator Grant application from AEF. It is a very simple form requiring only the signature of the educator and principal. This program provides a unique opportunity for AFA chapters to deliver an additional benefit to local school systems that are strapped for funds to support additional activities, such as field trips. You can reproduce the form as much as you like and distribute them widely throughout the school systems. Most schools welcome a visitor who is offering financial assistance!
Visions of Exploration
AEF's largest nationwide program is the Visions of Exploration program. Visions is an eighteen week program designed to be incorporated into the educational curriculum of fourth, fifth and sixth graders. It uses the USA Today Newspaper, special teachers guides, weekly Classline guides for teachers that relate the newspaper to aerospace and science subjects, and a copy of the Air Force Magazine Space Almanac.
The educational materials are provided and distributed by USA Today for AEF and AFA. The cost of the program is split between AFA chapters and AEF. Chapters pay $89.00 per classroom, and a minimum of five classrooms is required to enter the program. AEF pays $89.75 per classroom
This is an outstanding program that seeks to encourage interest in math and science among elementary school students. The program focuses on space exploration and feedback from teachers indicates that it is successful in exciting students about space and aviation, and demonstrating the need for strength in math and science. In fact, research indicates that more than 87 percent of teachers who use Visions say it does an excellent or outstanding job in encouraging math and science interest, and in developing critical and strategic thinking skills.
AEF advertises Visions registration in the Fall each year. Chapters register direct with AEF. The local USA Today representative is a full and important partner in the Visions program. USA Today representatives can assist chapters with making contact with local schools and will set up meetings between schools officials and the chapter to discuss and work the details for the Visions program. In addition, chapters can select which classes and teachers will receive the program, and use Visions to encourage additional contact with the schools. Many chapters have been very successful in contacting Visions teachers and offering their members as guest speakers on aerospace issues or in arranging field trips and related activities.
Visions is a "door opener" to local schools. Along with the educator grants program, it can put a chapter in the very enviable position of offering additional assistance to local schools for their educational efforts.
| An important note: AEF is fully committed to using the Visions and its other programs to support local chapters. If your chapter cannot afford to make its Visions payment all at once, or needs additional help, contact the AEF staff -- they can and will offer alternatives and work with you to make the program affordable to your chapter. Likewise, if you have a project that you believe of value, but doesn't appear to qualify under the Educator Grants or Chapter Matching Grants program, contact AEF. The Foundation regularly awards additional grants for worthwhile educational efforts. Call AEF before you say no. |
Support for CAP and AFJROTC and Other Programs
AFA and AEF also provide support to other programs. Among the most significant are the Civil Air Patrol and the ROTC program.
AFA chapters are the keys to supporting the Civil Air Patrol and ROTC programs. Many chapters have already developed innovative and supportive relationships with these two organizations. In many ways, they are the most important efforts underway to educate the nation's young people about aerospace, inspire effective citizenship and underwrite our future security.
At the national level, AEF support for the Civil Air Patrol take two forms. AEF provides a special fund from which CAP cadet squadron instructors can request support for aerospace educational activities. AEF also provides a small educational assistance scholarship for winners of CAP's most prestigious cadet award. Applications for the CAP instructor grants are available from AEF.
Junior ROTC is a growing and increasingly important element of the nation's educational system. To facilitate that growth and expand the educational experience, AEF offers AFJROTC instructor grants. These $250 grants operate just like the Educator Grants Program, but are available only to AFJROTC instructors. Applications are available from the Foundation office.
AEF also presents an academic excellence award to AFJROTC cadets. The award is the AEF visions pin, which is the Foundation's logo in gold. The pin is awarded by AFJROTC instructors to cadets who maintain a 3.3 grade point average for two semesters. The award is worn on the AFJROTC uniform. Pins are ordered direct from AFJROTC and instructions for its award and use are contained in AFJROTC regulations. Additional information can be obtained from the AEF staff.
The most important aspect of the AFA/AEF relationship with these two programs is the local chapter's relationship with them. It is the local chapter that has the contact, manpower and resources to strengthen and extend local CAP and AFJROTC (and senior ROTC as well) programs. Contact the local CAP and AFJROTC units, ask their commanders and instructors what they need and how you can help, and if you need more help, call AEF.
Finally, AEF is also involved in other programs as they arise. For example, the Foundation has supported the Reach For Tomorrow Foundation's efforts to encourage inner city and at-risk students in their education. When such program opportunities arise, the Foundation considers them on a case-by-case basis.
FOUNDATION CONTRIBUTION PROGRAMS
To support these projects, the Foundation relies on tax-deductible contributions from individuals, AFA chapter and state organizations and industry. AFA representatives are encouraged to participate in any of the following contribution/recognition programs which honor individuals as well as chapters. As an incentive, and to show the commitment AEF has to the improvement of education, all contributions to the Foundation are fully tax-deductible.
Fellowships
Chapter sponsorship of Jimmy Doolittle, Ira Eaker and Barry Goldwater Fellowships or Scott Associate Awards are both worthwhile and beneficial to the Foundation and its initiatives.
At a cost ranging from $5,000 for Goldwater Fellowships, $1,000 for Doolittle and Eaker Fellowships, $500 for Fellow of the Foundation, to $50 for Scott Associate Awards, chapters may sponsor these awards in their own names or in a name of their choice. These contribution programs allow chapter and state organizations to honor local, regional or national legislators, dignitaries, educators, Air Force personnel, etc.
Calendar and Label Programs
The Foundation operates two major fundraising activities each year -- direct mail solicitations to AFA members. The first each year is the return address label program. This program sends return address labels with AFA logos on them to AFA members and requests a donation to the Foundation. In the even the label addresses are wrong or an AFA member wants more labels, a call or note to the Foundation will speed additional labels to the member.
The second, and larger program, is the Calendar Program. Each year AEF produces a calendar featuring aviation art and a theme. These calendars are mailed to AFA members along with request for a donation. The calendars have proved very successful -- with members eager to receive this unique calendar each year.
The calendar and label programs together account for more than half of AEF's income each year. Your support of these two programs is essential to the continued success of the Foundation and the accomplishment of AFA/AEF education and communication missions.
Contributing through these two efforts, the Fellowships or directly to AEF ensures the future of the nation by providing the aerospace education foundation needed to maintain our aerospace strength an leadership. It is more than just a nice thing to do -- it is the fundamental thing you can do to support the AFA/AEF mission.
The Aerospace Education Foundation is a
tax-exempt 501 (c)(3) corporation.
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