Promoting STEM activities leads to participation in NASA astronaut program
Christopher Stone, a fifth-grade teacher at the Pond Hill Elementary School in Wallingford, is the recipient of the Connecticut Education Association’s (CEA) highest award, the John McCormack Award for Teaching Excellence.
Stone is now a finalist for the National Education Association Foundation for the Improvement of Education Award for Teaching Excellence.
“Chris is a shining example of the highly qualified, skilled, dedicated teachers in Connecticut,” said CEA President Sheila Cohen. “He promotes excellence in teaching and service to the profession, and we are proud to honor him with this award.”
Cohen added, “Chris collaborates with fellow teachers and shares his knowledge through high-quality professional development workshops, mentoring new teachers, and establishing community-based programs.”
The McCormack Award, which is highly competitive, examines teachers on five criteria: professional practice, community engagement, leadership in professional development, attention to diversity, and advocacy for the profession.
“Chris has been successful in introducing innovations to his classroom as well as strategies that ensure all students achieve at high levels. As an instructional leader, he has enhanced classroom learning and student achievement, utilizing community resources and service learning projects,” said Cohen.
Stone explained, “I believe that a classroom should be a nurturing, thoughtful environment, where the teacher is the choreographer of learning.”
A Wallingford Teacher of the Year and Connecticut Teacher of the Year semifinalist, Stone has been instrumental in promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) enrichment activities in Wallingford, and encouraging more young girls to participate in science-based programs. He founded the Young Astronaut Club of Wallingford and Wallingford Family Science Nights. He also runs multi-week summer science camps through the Meriden YMCA. He has been successful securing a CEA grant to help him take many of these existing programs to the next level.
Stone recently incorporated all of his activities to create the CT STEM Academy, a student- and family-based STEM enrichment program, in partnership with the Wallingford and Hamden Education Associations, the Spanish Community of Wallingford, and Wallingford Youth and Social Services.
State Senator Len Fasano said the Wallingford Academy is a great example of a program that provides students with the skills they need to be successful. “I am so proud of Chris and his achievements as an educator in our school community and his success with the Academy. Chris and the Academy are responsible for having provided countless students with the skills that have enabled them to be successful in school and in life. The jobs of the future will require strong science, technology, engineering, and math skills, and the Academy provides students with these skills, giving them a great head start.”
And it works, he says, because of the commitment of teachers like Stone, parents, and community leaders. “We all need to work together on successful programs like the Wallingford Academy. Teachers have so much to do in the classroom; we all have to do our part to help them.”
Recently, Stone announced that the Academy was selected by NASA to take part in the Amateur Radio International Space Station program, allowing students in the program to interact with astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The program is dependent on astronaut schedules, but it is expected to be scheduled for the fall.
Wallingford Education Association President Louis Faiella, Jr., nominated Stone for the CEA Award because he is “innovative, creative, and an exemplary educator and leader.” Faiella added, “Stone’s work is impressive. He successfully utilizes his programs and community training sessions to target under-served students and families.”
Stone’s work with the Academy has positively impacted the lives of students in Wallingford and has been instrumental in helping Spanish-speaking families join the program.
“The academic performance of under-privileged Hispanic students is considerably lower than that of their peers, but the Academy helps boost the confidence of our children and inspires them to succeed,” said Maria Harlow, executive director of the Spanish Community of Wallingford.
David Heiser, head of education and outreach at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, said, “Stone is equally sincere about improving his students’ learning and giving teaching colleagues the tools and knowledge that they need to teach their own students even more effectively. He is also tremendously capable at mobilizing resources, both human and financial, to further these education goals.”
Stone, who has been teaching for more than 16 years, compares his teaching style to an umbrella, with a strong handle held by the confident hand of a teacher who facilitates the learning process in multiple subject areas.
“As the umbrella expands and opens to shade over all of the students it reaches, the tools for learning are presented for the day’s lesson,” Stone explained. “At the top of the umbrella is the philosophy of inquiry-based learning, and underneath is what I call the umbrella effect of inquiry, a student-centered teaching approach.”
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