Aim for the Heavens: NASA Helps Boost STEM, Mental Health Training at Jefferson Elementary Center

From left to right: Title I interventionist Phillip O’Bryon, special education teacher Stevie Cavender, third-grade teacher Audrey Hylton and fourth-grade teacher Amy Stockl received training when NASA’s Independent Verification and Validation Facility visited Jefferson Elementary Center. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

PARKERSBURG – Jefferson Elementary Center partnered with NASA’s Independent Verification and Validation Facility and West Virginia University Extension to provide training to education professionals

In an initiative to improve both STEM education and mental health care within local schools, NASA and WVU Extension collaborated on a dual training event for teachers and community leaders. The session, held in Jefferson, demonstrated NASA’s commitment to STEM outreach while providing valuable resources for dealing with addiction-related challenges in the classroom.

Dr. Todd Ensign, program manager at NASA’s Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) facility in Fairmont, led a session focused on STEM education resources using technology kits with robotics. Ensign discussed one “borrow and learn” program, a $2.5 million initiative that loans schools robotics kits, telescopes and even portable planetariums, all aimed at sparking student interest in engineering, coding and other STEM fields. Ensign highlighted NASA’s efforts to inspire young students and increase diversity within the STEM field.

“What we are trying to offer is something that goes beyond the set curriculum,” he said.

Ensign noted that underrepresented students, especially girls and students from Title I schools, often miss opportunities to explore science and technology.

“We want to show young women and other underrepresented students that they can be successful in these fields,” he added.

NASA’s IV&V facility offers similar workshops throughout West Virginia, reaching traditional schools as well as organizations such as Boy Scouts, Boy Scouts and after-school programs.

A separate training, facilitated by Gwen Crum and Jodi Smith of WVU Extension, focused on the growing need for teachers to understand and respond to addiction-related issues affecting students and families. The training focused on how the opioid crisis has increased the challenges teachers face, with students’ home lives often impacting their attendance and mental well-being. Crum and Smith emphasized the importance of teachers recognizing these challenges early and knowing their limits to avoid burnout.

“Teachers today are expected to be counselors, social workers and psychologists in addition to their regular teaching duties,” Crum said.

The WVU Extension team provides addiction awareness training not only to teachers, but also to families and caregivers, with the goal of fostering a community-wide support network.

These training sessions underscore a dual approach to resilience, both by nurturing students’ curiosity and raising community awareness of addiction. NASA’s IV&V STEM resources are free to educators once they are trained, and WVU Extension provides ongoing support for addiction resources in communities. For local teachers, the program provides essential tools to engage students and support their well-being.

Gwen Sour can be reached at [email protected]