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Area teacher nominated by National Museum of the U.S. Air Force accepted to summer residency program

  • Published
  • By Sarah Swan
  • National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
Kate Tiffany, a teacher at the Greene County Career Center was selected to take part in the 2014 American Air Museum (AAM) Summer Residency Program. She was nominated for the program by the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

The American Air Museum Summer Residency Program, which takes place July 31-Aug. 14, is a unique professional development project creating a partnership between teachers from the United States and the United Kingdom. Based at the Imperial War Museum (IWM) Duxford in England, the residency gives teachers the opportunity to collaborate on a range of innovative ideas and best practices, which they will then take back to the classroom to ignite in their students a new spark of fascination in the study of World War II history and, within it, the role of engineering and technology.

During the residency, American and British teachers learn, in a collaborative and inspiring environment, about Second World War history and the key contributions made by engineering and technology. They will take part in exclusive tours and special lectures, not only at IWM Duxford -- an airfield used by the U.S. Army Air Forces' 78th Fighter Group during World War II -- but also at sites of historical significance in the local area, including castles and tunnels co-opted for use during the war. They'll hear from museum professionals and also from veterans who have experienced war and conflict, giving teachers a deeper understanding of Second World War history, with a special emphasis on aerial conflict and the important role of engineering and technology.

"This is the third year of the program and the level of excellent applications was higher than ever. We are looking forward to welcoming our successful candidates to the UK and sharing the captivating history of the U.S. Army Air Forces with them and their students," said Jenny Cousins of the American Air Museum.

Using the information and experience that they have gathered, teachers will then work in partnership to create immersive and relevant learning activities that will be trialed with local students in a summer camp environment and then brought back to their classrooms when they return to their own schools.

"I am fortunate to live in the Dayton area and teach aviation history," said Tiffany, who also teaches classes in government, tech history and financial literacy. "My students have benefitted greatly from the National Museum of the Air Force and its educational resources. I look forward to meeting teachers in England who are passionate about aviation, and exploring the American Air Museum and Imperial War Museum's educational resources. I can't wait to tell my students I had the once in a lifetime opportunity to fly in a Dragon Rapide!"

The program is sponsored by global aerospace, defense and security company Northrop Grumman.

"As a global defense and security company, Northrop Grumman is committed to education activities that encourage interest in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics," said Andrew Tyler, Chief Executive Europe, Northrop Grumman. "This program provides an opportunity to inspire the young scientists, engineers and mathematicians of tomorrow through learning about the role of engineering and technology within the historical context of the Second World War. We are delighted to be sponsoring this initiative."

More information about the AAM Summer Residency Program is available at http://projects.americanairmuseum.com/summer-residency.

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, is the world's largest military aviation museum. With free admission and parking, the museum features more than 360 aerospace vehicles and missiles and thousands of artifacts amid more than 17 acres of indoor exhibit space. Each year about one million visitors from around the world come to the museum. For more information, visit www.nationalmuseum.af.mil.

The Greene County Career Center, located in Xenia, Ohio, empowers students through advanced technologies, integrated instruction, and community partnerships to succeed in career, college and life. More information is available at www.greeneccc.com/greeneccc.


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.