Mark R. Meola, Sparta HS, receives AFA NJ Teacher of the Year Award

Mark R. Meola, Applied Technology, Robotics and Engineering teacher at Sparta High School., NJ, from Dingmans Ferry, PA, was recently presented with a NJ Air & Space Forces Association Teacher of the Year Award. The award was presented at the Vietnam Veteran Memorial Foundation, Holmdel, NJ. It includes $500.00, an AFA Jacket, and certificate, as well as a complimentary Civil Air Patrol(CAP) Aerospace Education Membership which includes a free CAP Cessna orientation flight.

Mark Meola has been teaching STEM education for 23 years and has developed the curriculum for nine STEM courses some of which are within the Sparta High School STEM Academy. He coaches a Robotics Club that has won multiple competitions which led to attending four World Championships. His teams have been ranked in the top 1% globally out of 22,000 middle/high schools from 40 different countries. He has worked with local industry including Thorlabs, Inc., to elicit support, internships, and networking opportunities.

In addition, he continues to play a critical role in the success of the STEM Academy, inspiring many students to pursue careers in STEM fields after graduation. Also, he mentors STEM teachers from surrounding counties in support of STEM education.

The Air & Space Forces Association educates the public on the critical role of aerospace power in our nation’s defense and supports the United States Air Force and its auxiliary, the Civil Air Patrol. For more information about AFA’s education programs, visit web site at: https://www.afa.org/aerospace-stem-education .

The NJ Air & Space Forces Association meets quarterly. For more information, see http://njairforceassoc.org/ or contact Joe Abegg, President, at: [email protected].