Educator Receives Recognition for Outstanding Education Efforts
Erica Parsell at the Space Station Explorers booth at NSTA 2019.
October 11, 2019 • By Amy Elkavich, Staff Writer
Educators breathe life into the act of learning, making even the most challenging content engaging and accessible to both students and other instructors. Erica Parsell, skilled in the fine art of infusing literacy strategies into elementary science instruction, was recently recognized as an outstanding Ambassador by the ISS National Lab Space Station Ambassador program. Parsell’s meaningful contributions to the Ambassador community earned her an invitation to attend the 2019 International Literary Conference this week, where she will showcase ISS National Lab education initiatives at the Space Station Explorers booth.
The Space Station Explorers consortium is a growing community of ISS National Lab partner organizations working to leverage the unique platform of the ISS to provide valuable educational experiences. More than 600 adult educators, leaders, and life-long learners from across the United States serve as Space Station Ambassadors, gaining access to educational tools and a means to connect with like-minded space enthusiasts. “The Ambassador program has allowed me to engage learners by connecting science and a love of reading,” said Parsell.
Erica Parsell at NSTA 2019.
Parsellalso attended the 2019 National Science Teacher Association (NSTA) this past September. At NSTA, she served as a representative of the Space Station Ambassadors, highlighting the Story Time From Space program. Story Time From Space is a free Space Station Explorers partner program that provides video recordings of astronauts reading books from onboard the ISS. According to Parsell, “Students of all ages are mesmerized to watch astronauts read to them from space!” Accompanying Story Time From Space is the recently added Science Time From Space, in which ISS crew members perform science demonstrations related to concepts in the books read onboard the ISS.
Also attending the International Literary Conference this weekend is Mick Szydlowski, co-author of the Story Time From Space book “The Mission to Cataria.” Conference attendees are encouraged to visit the Space Station Explorers booth to meet Parsell, Szydlowski, and other Space Station Explorer educators.
Story Time From Space is one of the many Space Station Explorers partner programs that utilizes the ISS as a unique learning tool. Visit www.spacestationexplorers.org to learn more about the Space Station Explorers consortium and ISS National Lab education initiatives.
Video courtesy of Story Time From Space