Johannesburg science teacher selected for Honeywell space academy

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Nikki Candy, head of natural sciences at Dainfern College was selected to join a group of mathematics and science teachers from around the globe to participate in the Honeywell Educates @Space Academy (HE@SA) which was held at the US Space and Rocket Centre in Huntsville during June.

Nikki Candy.

Created in partnership with Honeywell Hometown Solutions (HHS) and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC), the HE@SA is a five-day scholarship programme where middle school teachers participate in simulated astronaut training and professional development. The training also highlights innovative teaching skills in science, technology, engineering and maths in fun and exciting ways. Course participants were exposed to high performance jet simulation, scenario-based space missions, land and water survival training and interactive flight dynamics programmes.

Tom Buckmaster, president of Honeywell Hometown Solutions, “HE@SA gives teachers an engaging and unforgettable learning experience that heightens their ability to become even more effective educators.”

Candy says, “I was thrilled to have been selected to participate in this prestigious academy. I am passionate about the world of science and to have had the opportunity to be exposed to exciting and innovative ways to teach the subject has enabled me to re-look at how experiments can be presented to learners.

“It was very much a case of putting oneself back into the shoes of students and looking at ways to create the excitement that is science in the classroom. I am confident that my experience at HE@SA can be translated positively into the classroom, and because Dainfern College has a philosophy of knowledge sharing, that excitement will filter through the entire college.

“How to encourage children to think out of the box and creatively is something that I intend to implement in classes in the future. How to encourage children to think like business managers at an early stage so that financial, budgeting and deadline awareness become a natural part of any programme they conceive. The logic of being creative while understanding the financial implications and realising that it is ‘cool to be clever’ will add a new dynamic to our lessons.”

Since the launch of the HE@SA programme in 2004, Honeywell has awarded HE@SA scholarships to 1756 teachers from more than 45 countries.

For more information contact Boni Magudulela, Honeywell Southern Africa, +27 (0)11 695 8000, hsa@honeywell.com, www.honeywell.co.za

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