AJC: Kittredge Magnet School Teacher, Mrs. Oltman To Fly & Help with NASA Research

In the middle of the night, flying at 40,000 feet, April Whitt expects a better view of the gas surrounding stars and the surface of planets than she’s seen from the Fernbank Science Center’s telescope.

Whitt and Susan Oltman, a sixth-grade science teacher at Kittredge Magnet School will head to California in about a week to observe space and participate in experiments with NASA scientists as part of NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy program.

The best part of their weeklong mission, Oltman said, is being able to share what she learns with her sixth-grade science students at Kittredge Elementary School.

“I’m just excited about having some real world connections with the students,” she said. “And who gets the opportunity to fly with NASA? I’m thrilled.”

Oltman and Whitt, an astronomer at the science center, were selected as one of 14 two-person teams to participate in this third year of a 20-year project giving educators a chance to observe and participate in high-level experiments.

Click the following link to read the remainder of the article:  http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local-education/dekalb-teachers-to-fly-help-with-nasa-research/nnXr6/