LIVING THE DREAM: Wasilla teacher only Alaskan to attend educator space camp

WASILLA — This past June, Wasilla Middle School teacher Mary “Penny” Groth got to live out one of her childhood dreams at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

It had been decades since she first saw the 1986 movie “SpaceCamp,” but Groth never forgot the impact the film had on her. Even though she knew she wouldn’t actually be launched into space at the real-life youth camp, just as in the movie, Groth always loved the idea of attending.

“I always wanted to go, but then at some point, you get too old,” Groth said.

That’s what she thought, anyway, until her principal told her about the Honeywell Educators at Space Academy (HESA)program.

“I’m like, they have space camp for teachers? I’m on that!” Groth said.

According to a Honeywell fact sheet, HESA is a scholarship program designed to inspire middle school math and science teachers to become more effective educators of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), creating “a pipeline of talented young men and women who will become our future scientists, engineers and mathematicians.”

As a computer science teacher at Wasilla Middle, Groth fit the bill, and out of 200 teachers from 26 countries and 36 U.S. states, Groth was the only Alaskan selected.

At the camp, Groth was grouped with 13 other people of eight different nationalities for five days, participating in simulated astronaut training, moon walks, lunar landings and more. Teachers also had a chance to meet NASA scientists, engineers and former astronauts, including Homer Hickam, author of the memoir “Rocket Boys,” on which the movie “October Sky” was based. She also met retired astronaut Ben Springer and NASA public affairs person Ed Buckbee, who worked with the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts.

“It just really inspires you to make the classroom real,” Groth said.

Groth said she was looking forward to bringing what she learned back to school this year, hopefully in a space-oriented Connections class at the end of the day.

“I would love to do a NASA incentive education class, really get kids excited about science and space,” she said.

Though Groth thought she might not be able to launch the kind of rockets they designed at the academy behind the middle school, she said the subject at least is a good fit for the age group she teaches.

“They still have that childlike wonder,” she said.

Groth said she plans to communicate with her “Team Kibo” groupmates from the academy via Facebook, where they will have the opportunity to continue sharing ideas from around the world.

“I’d like to just keep exploring,” Groth said.

For more information about Honeywell Educators at Space Academy, visit https://educators.honeywell.com/

Contact reporter Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266 or caitlin.skvorc@frontiersman.com.