South Colonie teachers attended a summer Earth Science conference at RPI. Pictured are Michele Famoso (bottom left corner), Maurisa Rathwell (directly behind Michele Famoso), and Raymond Szczerba (far right at top).

South Colonie Teachers Attend Summer Earth Science Conference

Posted august 19, 2011

Three South Colonie teachers attended an Earth Science in Space has No Boundary Conference in August at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy.

This included Sand Creek Middle School teacher, Raymond Szczerba, and Colonie Central High School teachers, Maurisa Rathwell and Michele Famoso.

The summer institute brought teachers of Earth Science together through a NASA grant written by Dr. Heidi Newberg, Rensselaer astrophysicist, and the Dudley Observatory Curriculum Committee. Teachers used a combination of hands-on activities and lectures from prominent scientists as they learned how to integrate their improved knowledge of space science into their classrooms.

Topics and activities included: Formation of Universe, Stellar Evolution, Planetary Geology, Motion in the Universe, Star Gazing Party, and Solar Observations.