Honeywell Sends Teachers to Astronaut Training

Honeywell will provide scholarships to two teachers to go through astronaut training this summer at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala. 

Morris Township-based gave teachers Elizabeth Henriquez and Dennis Montone scholarships to attend its Space Academy program in Alabama.

In addition to astronaut training, the 185 teachers accepted into the program will receive 45 hours of professional development in science and math lessons they can bring back home. 

The astronaut training will include land and water survival training and a high-performance jet simulation.

Henriquez and Montone took part in a similar experience last year, on the Weightless Wonder, a NASA plane that simulates the weightless environment of space. Montone said that opportunity led to many others at Bergen Tech, including this one.

Since their flight, the teachers used their new connections to arrange for NASA astronauts to speak in class, including Charles Camarda, who has logged more than 300 hours in space and videoconferenced with students multiple times during the year.

"These are the kinds of things I can't provide without NASA connections," Montone said.

The goal of the Honeywell program is to get more students interested in science and math. The lessons and experiments teachers will perform in Alabama can be replicated in the classroom, Henriquez said.

The activities allow teachers to answer a question often posed by students learning what can be abstract math and science concepts: When am I ever going to use this?

"It gives us applications for the things we teach, which is huge for us," Montone said.

"The kids buy into it when they see, oh, there actually is a reason," Henriquez said.

Henriquez and Montone depart for Alabama on June 22.

"I'm looking forward to getting more stuff that I can use for kids in the classroom," Henriquez said.