Mrs. Melissa Goodall, Honored with the Prestigious Space Educator Award
Englewood, OH: MVCTC is thrilled to announce that Mrs. Melissa Goodall, Computer Programming & Web Applications instructor, has been named the 2024 recipient of the Space Educator Award for her exceptional contributions to motivating high school students in the study of space science and technology.
The Space Educator Award, presented annually, recognizes outstanding secondary school teachers for their pivotal role in inspiring students to pursue space science and technology careers.
Mrs. Goodall was selected by a panel of experts led by Ms. Lynne Zielinski, National Space Society, and the
committee's citation reads:
Ms. Goodall is recognized for her creativity and dedication as a career space educator, inspiring thousands of students to enter the next generation of Space professionals. As an educator for 24 years, she has incorporated space education and innovation into the classroom through the utilization of space data science teaching with a specialization in programming languages.
Ms. Goodall has helped students design and prototype projects for Moon habitats, the International Space Station, and beyond. Many of Ms. Goodall's students have won internships at NASA centers. Many more now work in space STEM-related careers.
Outside of the classroom, Ms. Goodall has been involved with developing and training STEM and non-STEM instructors to implement Data Analytics into any curriculum, served as a Subject Matter Expert in support of curriculum and educational standards development, as a National Science Foundation project implementor, and as a member of a House sub-committee working on developing and implementing training modules on computational thinking for pre-service prek-12 teachers in Ohio.
"I am honored to be selected and humbled by the letters of recommendation for the award submitted by former students. Hearing how successful my students have been reminds me of why I am inspired to teach," shared Mrs. Goodall.
The award comes with a one-time stipend of $1,500, a testament to Mrs. Goodall's exemplary dedication to space education. The official presentation will occur during the Club's annual Robert H. Goddard Memorial Dinner on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Washington Hilton.
MVCTC Superintendent Dr. Nick Weldy applauded Mrs. Goodall by saying, "The National Space Educator Award is a recognition of a teacher who goes above and beyond to promote the study of space science. Mrs. Goodall's work with the NASA HUNCH initiative has brought new scientific, engineering, and technological challenges into the classrooms of the Miami Valley Career Technology Center. The performance and dedication of her students to the various projects and the study of space science have only grown each year. The MVCTC is proud of Melissa Goodall's accomplishment and recognizes that it comes from years of dedicated work focused on the success of her students. Congratulations, Mrs. Goodall!"
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