Kathleen Francis, an eighth-grade science  teacher in St. Catharine School, Spring Lake, has received recognition for her high-flying performance in the classroom.

Francis, who also teaches the children of enlisted servicemen at the Joint Base McGuire-Fort Dix-Lakehurst military installation, was named as the Northeast Region’s Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Education Teacher of the Year at the organization’s 2017 Joint Conference in Atlantic City March 10.

The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a congressionally chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. CAP is a volunteer organization which includes aviation-minded people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and occupations. It performs three key missions: emergency services, which includes search-and-rescue by air and ground and disaster relief operations; aerospace education for youth and the general public; and cadet programs for teenagrs. In addition, CAP has recently been tasked with homeland security and courier service missions. CAP also performs non-auxiliary missions for various governmental and private agencies, such as local law enforcement and the American Red Cross.

To qualify for the CAP Education Teacher of the Year Award, nominees must: be a member of the Civil Air Patrol; a certified classroom teacher from grades kindergarten through 12; either teach aerospace education as a subject or use it to enrich the teaching of traditional subjects; set high standards for students and demand excellence; strive to improve personal academic competence and teaching ability; demonstrate creativity in teaching, and maximize student involvement and classroom activities, or develop a one-time project or program to impact the teaching of aerospace education.

Achieving the award was a multi-step process, Francis explained. After submission of her nomination package to the awards committee on the state N.J. Wing Level, it was reviewed by various officers and selected over several others from the 23 units scattered around the state. The board’s recommendation was then presented to the N.J. Wing Commander, Col. Steven Tracy, for validation.

In the nomination letter for the award, Francis was named a wonderful teacher and true asset to the program by Chief of Force Development Flight Scott Gericke.

“Besides her patience, she has also shown tremendous insight to the various learning levels of our children and consistently adapts her instruction to reach all their challenges,” Gericke wrote of the teacher. “She also has quite a sense of humor and made the classes relevant and fun.”

Moving up the echelon of command to the Northeast Region, Francis won over the nominees from seven others from Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine and Massachusetts. 

With the Northeast Region award, Francis is now competing against eight other region winners from across the U.S. The winner of the National Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Education Teacher of the Year Award will be announced at the CAP national conference in San Antonio, Texas, this summer.

Francis’ involvement in the Civil Air Patrol stretches far past the St. Catharine School classroom. She is actively involved in CAP’s Emergency Services and was trained as a Mission Observer and Mission Scanner for Search and Rescue Missions and in CAP CounterDrug (CD) Operations. Over the past two years, she has taught STEM classes on Saturday mornings to airmen and the children of enlisted servicemen at the Lakehurst base as part of its JBMDL Library Operations.

“This summer I’ll be flying CounterDrug Missions in NJ and in Pennsylvania,” she said. “Someday I would like to obtain a private pilot’s license.”

Reflecting upon her award, Francis explained her philosophy about the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in the education of children. 

“Future workforce development, as well as future national security, depends on an educated populace via STEM educational initiatives,” she asserted. “The kindergarten-to-12th grade classrooms of America provide the fertile ground for such education and preparation for the future.”