<p>It is a dream come true for Vandana Suryawanshi, a middle school teacher in Pune, who has been selected as the first international teacher for a prestigious US space education programme.<br /><br /></p>.<p>And she harbours another deep desire - That is going to space.<br />With an experience of over 20 years in teaching biology, earth science and general science, Suryawanshi has always been fascinated by the vastness of the universe and space.<br /><br />Having received the Honeywell Educators at Space Scholarship, 46-year-old Suryawanshi will be exposed to more avenues in space science and start applying the knowledge and information gained there in her day-to-day classroom work.<br /><br />Suryawanshi will soon join 19 other outstanding American educators who have also been selected for their active promotion of space and science education by the Space Foundation.<br /><br />'The effects of atmospheric pressure and gravity on human beings and plants on earth and in micro-gravity' will be the topic for her during the programme.<br /><br />Suryawanshi draws her inspiration from Indra Nooyi, who started from a humble beginning and overcame all the obstacles to become the CEO of Pepsico. She has high regards for Kalpana Chawla for her fearlessness and determination.<br /><br />She also gives credit to Nalini Sengupta, Principal at the Vidya Valley School in Pune, where she has been teaching for last five years, describing her as a pillar of strength. <br /><br />"She is enthusiastic, committed and willing to learn," said Sengupta when asked about Suryawanshi.<br /><br />Asked if she would like to go to space, Suryawanshi said of course. "I will certainly grab such an opportunity."<br /><br />On how she finds time to pursue her interests, Suryawanshi, also mother of two daughters, said, "I spend more quality than quantity time with my family members during dinner. So, I have ample time to pursue my interests."<br /><br />Suryawanshi wants to continue teaching students in the age group of 14-16 years as she thinks that there she can make an impact on their learning.</p>.<p>"These students have an enormous enthusiasm to learn and this is a motivating factor for me," she added.<br /><br />This is for the first time that an international teacher has been selected for the prestigious fellowship of the Space Foundation, which is now 10-year-old.<br />The new flight of Teacher Liaison will serve as advocates for space-themed education across the curriculum and will help its fellows to use Space Foundation-provided training and resources to further integrate space principles into work.<br /><br />The highly regarded Space Foundation Teacher Liaison programme has more than 270 active participants. The teachers are selected by a panel comprising representatives from the space industry and military.<br /><br />The 2012 Teacher Liaison will be publicly recognised at the Space Foundation's 28th National Space Symposium, scheduled from April 16 to 19 in Colorado.<br /><br />Besides getting recognition , the 2012 Teacher Liaison will allow participants to share their views in workshops and education programmes at the 28th National Space Symposium.<br /><br />Following the symposium, Teacher Liaison can take advantage of specialised training and instruction at Space Foundation and NASA workshops with optional graduate-level credit.</p>
<p>It is a dream come true for Vandana Suryawanshi, a middle school teacher in Pune, who has been selected as the first international teacher for a prestigious US space education programme.<br /><br /></p>.<p>And she harbours another deep desire - That is going to space.<br />With an experience of over 20 years in teaching biology, earth science and general science, Suryawanshi has always been fascinated by the vastness of the universe and space.<br /><br />Having received the Honeywell Educators at Space Scholarship, 46-year-old Suryawanshi will be exposed to more avenues in space science and start applying the knowledge and information gained there in her day-to-day classroom work.<br /><br />Suryawanshi will soon join 19 other outstanding American educators who have also been selected for their active promotion of space and science education by the Space Foundation.<br /><br />'The effects of atmospheric pressure and gravity on human beings and plants on earth and in micro-gravity' will be the topic for her during the programme.<br /><br />Suryawanshi draws her inspiration from Indra Nooyi, who started from a humble beginning and overcame all the obstacles to become the CEO of Pepsico. She has high regards for Kalpana Chawla for her fearlessness and determination.<br /><br />She also gives credit to Nalini Sengupta, Principal at the Vidya Valley School in Pune, where she has been teaching for last five years, describing her as a pillar of strength. <br /><br />"She is enthusiastic, committed and willing to learn," said Sengupta when asked about Suryawanshi.<br /><br />Asked if she would like to go to space, Suryawanshi said of course. "I will certainly grab such an opportunity."<br /><br />On how she finds time to pursue her interests, Suryawanshi, also mother of two daughters, said, "I spend more quality than quantity time with my family members during dinner. So, I have ample time to pursue my interests."<br /><br />Suryawanshi wants to continue teaching students in the age group of 14-16 years as she thinks that there she can make an impact on their learning.</p>.<p>"These students have an enormous enthusiasm to learn and this is a motivating factor for me," she added.<br /><br />This is for the first time that an international teacher has been selected for the prestigious fellowship of the Space Foundation, which is now 10-year-old.<br />The new flight of Teacher Liaison will serve as advocates for space-themed education across the curriculum and will help its fellows to use Space Foundation-provided training and resources to further integrate space principles into work.<br /><br />The highly regarded Space Foundation Teacher Liaison programme has more than 270 active participants. The teachers are selected by a panel comprising representatives from the space industry and military.<br /><br />The 2012 Teacher Liaison will be publicly recognised at the Space Foundation's 28th National Space Symposium, scheduled from April 16 to 19 in Colorado.<br /><br />Besides getting recognition , the 2012 Teacher Liaison will allow participants to share their views in workshops and education programmes at the 28th National Space Symposium.<br /><br />Following the symposium, Teacher Liaison can take advantage of specialised training and instruction at Space Foundation and NASA workshops with optional graduate-level credit.</p>
