Annual Crossfield Teacher Teacher of the Year Award

Purpose of the Award

The A. Scott Crossfield Aerospace Education Teacher Award (the Crossfield Award) was founded in 1986 by NAHF enshrinee, engineer and test pilot A. Scott Crossfield (1921-2006).  Positively influenced by teachers in his life, Crossfield created the annual award to recognize an exemplary K-12 American classroom teacher for innovative use of aerospace to inspire young people toward a greater interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects and potential aerospace-related careers.   

Presented annually by the NAHF, the Crossfield Award pays tribute to teachers who go above the norm to conduct outstanding aerospace educational programs in the classroom and beyond. 

Qualifications: Nominees should be current classroom teachers in grades kindergarten through twelfth grade from any public, private, parochial, or charter school.  The nominees must either teach aerospace education as a subject or use aerospace education to enrich the teaching of traditional subjects. The accomplishments of the nominee should not be limited to the year of nomination, but, rather, should reflect years of successful aerospace education instruction and implementation with significant impact on aerospace teaching/learning.  

The national award recognizes dedicated and talented educators who go above and beyond to fulfill the following criteria:

  • Perform their teaching duties in an exemplary manner, resulting in authentic aerospace exploration and learning by students. 
  • Maximize student involvement in aerospace education to perpetuate interest in future aerospace-related careers, both in daily classroom teaching and beyond, such as in afterschool programs, summer camps, and/or student competitions or exhibitions.
  • Demonstrate creativity and innovation in developing and implementing materials and programs to enhance the experiential teaching of aerospace, to include securing additional funding and resources to achieve such. 
  • Strive to improve personal academic competence and teaching ability for themselves and their peers by attending and presenting at educational conferences/symposiums or outreach venues locally, regionally, and nationally. 

Nomination Package Information

The nomination package should combine not more than eight pages into one PDF binder. These eight pages should include a cover page and seven additional nominee support pages, as follows.

Cover page:

  • Name, title, address, and cell/e-mail contact information of nominator
  • Full nominee information-Name, home address, and cell/e-mail contact information
  • Nominee’s current school name, city/state, grade level(s) taught, and subject area(s) taught
  • 50-word citation best describing the teacher’s exemplary aerospace education contributions

Additional seven pages with support information to fulfill the award qualifications/criteria:
The information within these additional seven pages should include clear, concise, and pertinent details which justify the worthiness of the nominee for this national award. Support documentation should demonstrate exemplary student programs both in the classroom and beyond, as well as the nominee’s professional development attendance and presentations both within and beyond the local school and community.

  • Nominator’s personal one-page letter describing why the nominee deserves to receive this award
  • One additional one-page letter of endorsement by a school administrator or peer, school system leader, student, parent of student, or other person who would provide the best description of the nominee’s qualifications and merits
  • One page listing of the following:
    • The nominee’s current and most recent teaching positions, including school names/locations, dates of service, and grade levels and disciplines taught
    • Recent honors, awards, grants, and other recognition received by the nominee
    • Recent attendance and presentations at educator conferences, symposiums, etc.
  • A one-page narrative written by the nominee describing the most pertinent and impactful teaching achievements, points of pride, special aerospace program(s) created and/or conducted (both within and out of classroom), breadth of student involvement, or anything else the teacher wishes to share to demonstrate exemplary teaching of aerospace education within the classroom and beyond
  • Two pages of labeled photographs or documents describing significant activities, field trips, special events, innovative programs, teacher presentations, student competitions, etc., that best showcase:
    • Creativity in developing and utilizing materials to enhance the teaching of aerospace
    • Educational involvement outside the school in community events, teacher conferences, student competitions, etc.
    • One or more significant aerospace program(s) the teacher created and/or conducts

Previous Winners

Check out a list of previous winners of the Crossfield award along with some of their notable accomplishments.

2024 - Mark Westlake, STEAM Specialist and Director of the St. Thomas Academy Innovation Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

2023 - Megan Tucker

STEAM Specialist and Dean of Curriculum, Hillsboro Charter Academy, Hillsboro, VA

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