Donald Rankins of Ilion, NY, a teacher at the Kernan Magnet School in the Utica NY Public School System, has been named recipient of the annual Teaching Tools Award from the Erie Canal Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications Electronics Association.
Eugene Blackburn, president of the AFCEA Chapter, will make the formal presentation of the one thousand dollar check at the Awards Banquet following the Utica College of Syracuse University Regional Science Fair on March 29, 2003. According to Mr. Blackburn, the Teaching Tools Award is part of an ongoing effort by the local AFCEA Chapter, and the AFCEA International Education Foundation to encourage student interest in science, mathematics, and technology for future education and careers. Teachers from area school systems throughout the Erie Canal Chapter region were invited to submit applications for the Teaching Tools Award. Blackburn said that Rankins is the latest in a long list of awardees from numerous school systems in the region who have received up to 1000 dollars to support classroom science and science fair activities.
The local AFCEA chapter president said the selection committee was impressed with the fact that Donald Rankins has been able to interest students in the inner city school in the area of communications by tying in computers and amateur radio with the educational experiences in mathematics, language skills and social studies. Students have used the current equipment at the school to track the International Space Station as well as numerous other spacecraft and been able to communicate with amateur radio operators throughout the United States as well as many foreign lands.
Rankins has received funding and encouragement from the American Radio Relay League and the Utica School System for equipment purchases as well as technical assistance from the Fort Herkimer Amateur Radio Club members. Rankins, who is a licensed amateur radio enthusiast, is trustee of KC2AXZ, the school amateur radio club. According to Rankins the funds requested will be used to purchase equipment, educational materials, and training manuals for the students use and includes satellite tracking software.
Mr. Blackburn said the Teaching tools funds are a supplement to and not a replacement for any allocations received by Rankins from the Utica School System. Blackburn stated that the Teaching Tools Awards are one of several efforts by the Erie Canal Chapter of AFCEA to encourage and promote student activities in the sciences, mathematics and technologies. These efforts include Chapter member and dependent scholarships and several hundred dollars in cash awards for exhibits at the Utica College Regional Science Fair as well as supplying members to judge exhibits at the fair.