AFA Gabriel Chapter Teacher Reinvents Gym, Wins VA ToY

Forget dodgeball and whistle blows—Katie Moeser is redefining what physical education looks like in the elementary school gymnasium, and it earned her one of the state’s highest education honors: the Virginia State Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) Teacher of the Year award. AFA Charles Gabriel Chapter President Mike Winters presented the award to Moeser at a school-wide assembly in early June, before the school year ended.

As an elementary school physical education teacher at Hillsboro Charter Academy in Purcellville, Va., Moeser redefined what a K–5 Physical Education classroom can look like by anchoring instruction in the Civil Air Patrol’s Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE) curriculum. The approach connects aerospace and PE learning standards, giving students a kinesthetic pathway to understanding the mechanics of flight, motion, and physics. The result is a classroom (that is, a gymnasium) where critical thinking and physical activity go hand in hand, giving kids a reason to love both. Her approach reflects a growing recognition that physical education can be a powerful, often underused, gateway into STEM learning—especially for young students who thrive when abstract concepts become tangible, hands-on, and fun.

AFA’s Teacher of the Year program, sponsored by Rolls-Royce, honors outstanding K-12 educators who bring STEM into their classrooms and inspire the next generation of innovators. From chapter-level recognition to state and national honors, the program celebrates teachers who go above and beyond to make science, technology, engineering, and math come alive for their students—helping shape the future of America’s aerospace and technology workforce.

AFA’s mission to promote aerospace and STEM education and inspire the next generation of aerospace professionals is driven by teachers like Moeser, who proves that the pathway to aerospace education and careers begins not just at a desk, but in motion.

The AFA Charles Gabriel Chapter congratulates Moeser on the recognition and her achievement in inspiring young learners.