FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kenneth Huff inducted into prestigious Crown Circle

MAXWELL AFB, Ala. — Kenneth Huff of Blasdell, N.Y. has been named to Civil Air Patrol’s Crown Circle for Aerospace Education Leadership.

Huff was inducted into the Crown Circle March 27 during the 2004 National Congress on Aviation and Space Education in Atlanta. Established in 1979, membership in the Crown Circle is one of the nation’s most prestigious honors bestowed worldwide in the field of aerospace education. This year’s three-day National Congress, now in its 37th year, presented the best practices in aviation and space education to educators from throughout the nation.

Huff is a sixth grade teacher and team leader at Mill Middle School in Williamsville, N.Y. For more than 12 years, he has developed inquiry-based learning activities that link aerospace with real careers in science, math, engineering and technology.

“I’m grateful for the chance to work with students every day and hope to inspire them to be the next generation of explorers,” Huff said.

Huff was chosen by NASA as a Field Test Teacher in 2001 and continues to help with NASA’s Earth to Orbit Engineering Design Challenge Program for middle school students.

“Aerospace education is important because it helps improve the quality of life here on Earth, and allows us to explore our universe,” Huff said. “Educating and inspiring today’s students is imperative if we as a society want our scientific endeavors to continue.”

Huff has presented workshops for hundreds of educators at local, state and national levels, including the Science Teachers of New York State conference, the New York State Middle School Association conference, and the Earth to Orbit Engineering Design Challenge National Symposium. In 2003, Huff raised thousands of dollars to bring a NASA Mobile Aerospace Education Laboratory to the students of Mill Middle School. This past March, he was the program facilitator for a live downlink with the Expedition 8 crew of the International Space Station and the students of Mill Middle School.

Huff holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary education from the State University of New York College at Buffalo. He also promotes aerospace education as a member of Civil Air Patrol and the Air Force Association.

Civil Air Patrol and the U.S. Air Force host the National Congress and its Crown Circle awards. CAP is the official Air Force auxiliary and is a nonprofit organization with almost 62,000 members nationwide. CAP performs 95% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Its volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counterdrug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members take a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to the almost 27,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet programs. CAP has been performing missions for America for more than 60 years.

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