DAYTON, Ohio -- Bridget Federspiel, a history teacher at Stivers School for the Arts, and Kevin Lydy, a social studies teacher at The Dayton Regional STEM School, have been accepted to the 2013 American Air Museum (AAM) in Britain's Summer Residency Program. They were nominated for the program by the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
The AAM Summer Residency Program is a unique professional development opportunity run by the Imperial War Museum (IWM), in which teachers from the United States and the United Kingdom share ideas and practice, immersed in the historic setting of IWM Duxford in Cambridgeshire, England. During the program, teachers participate in tours and lectures at the museum and other significant sites in the area to develop their knowledge of World War II history, especially the air war, through close encounters with primary evidence.
"The program seeks to keep the legacy of Second World War U.S. Airmen alive in the 21st-century classroom by inspiring teachers and giving them first-hand opportunities to learn from museum professionals, living history interpreters and veterans," said Jenny Cousins, the project's leader in Britain. "It is wonderful for the IWM to be collaborating with the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force on this project."
Participation in the program, which takes place from July 30-Aug. 15, is subsidized, and the majority of expenses, including accommodation, meals, transportation, field trips and educational resources, are free of charge. Teachers must commit to carrying out a class project with students at their school.
"I am truly honored and excited for this opportunity," said Lydy, a resident of Yellow Springs who has taught at the STEM school since 2008. "Immediately, I thought of collaborating with the engineering teacher at our school for a unit on the air war of World War II, with students creating three-dimensional scale models of various WWII aircraft using computer assisted design (CAD) software and printing them out with a 3-D printer."
Federspiel also has plans to incorporate what she learns into her classroom.
"This is an incredible opportunity. I am honored to be selected to attend the program and can't wait to apply the information to my classroom," said Federspiel, a resident of Kettering who has taught at Stivers since 2002. "My students have been interviewing local World War II veterans since 2005. Many of the veterans we have interviewed traveled through England during the war, and a few were stationed in England as pilots of P-47s and B-17s. I am looking forward to hearing the stories from the British pilots and gaining a deeper understanding of the role of air power in World War II."
According to Erin Craig, an aerospace educator at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force who nominated Lydy for the program, the residency program gives the Air Force's national museum an opportunity to work with teachers both locally and internationally.
"It helps us to further illustrate the museum as a national entity and allows educators to work together as they explore and share the history and legacy of the U.S. Air Force both here and abroad," Craig said.
More information about the AAM Summer Residency Program is available at
http://projects.americanairmuseum.com/.
The National Museum of the United States Air Force is located on Springfield Street, six miles northeast of downtown Dayton. It is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day). Admission and parking are free. For more information about the museum, visit
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil.
Stivers School for the Arts, established in 1908, is a public arts magnet school, grades 7-12, in the Dayton Public School district. Stivers offers programs in the arts, as well as a full rigorous academic program. Stivers' state report card is similar to that of high-performing suburban schools and is a prime example of how participation in the arts enhances academic performance.
The Dayton Regional STEM School is one of 12 public STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) schools across Ohio, offering students a relevant, real world educational experience that prepares them for college and opportunities in the work world. The School opened in August 2009 with its first class of ninth grade students from across Clark, Greene and Montgomery counties. The Dayton Regional STEM School currently serves 430 students in grades 6-12 from 28 different school districts in six counties and will have its first graduating class in spring 2013.
NOTE TO MEDIA: For more information, please contact Sarah Swan at (937) 255-1283 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Public Affairs Division.