Aerospace teacher of the year entries sought

The juried competition is open to current classroom teachers from grades kindergarten through 12 from any public, private, parochial, or charter school as well as educators in a nontraditional teaching setting.

The National Aviation Hall of Fame established the Crossfield award in 1986 to recognize aerospace educators who "set high standards for students and demand excellence in performance; strive to improve their personal academic competence and teaching ability; perform their teaching duties in an exemplary manner, resulting in true learning by students;" and "demonstrate creativity in developing and utilizing materials to enhance the teaching of aerospace," the organization said in a news release.

Crossfield, the first man to successfully fly at speeds above Mach 2 and Mach 3, was a naval aviator, aerospace engineer, and test pilot who was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1983.

The award, which is accompanied by a $1,500 stipend, will be presented at an awards ceremony on Sept. 27 at the National Air and Space Museum. The deadline for submissions is June 10. For more information, see the website.