Thirty teachers from Orange County Public Schools built bridges, catapults and wind turbines; heard from industry experts on pursuing engineering degrees at major universities; and learned how to best integrate science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) concepts into their classroom activities during Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Teachers and Engineers for Academic Achievement (TEAACH) program held at its Laser Systems facility. During the two-day event, teachers attended formal presentations given by Northrop Grumman engineers on STEM topics such as "The Crisis in Engineering" and "Encouraging Girls to Embrace Science and Math!"and toured the company's production areas. The Orlando Science Center collaborated with Northrop Grumman to create hands-on science-related classroom activities. Two of Northrop Grumman's WORTHY program students led one of the hands-on activities.
The TEAACH program targets middle-school math and science teachers specifically due to the shortage of U.S. college graduates in these disciplines, a development that bodes ill for the nation's industries that depend on talented engineers, scientists and mathematicians. Since studies have indicated that most children make the decision to pursue math/science education and careers during middle school, Northrop Grumman developed the TEAACH program to engage teachers, who are key influencers in the lives of students during these crucial years.
