Science teacher Wayne Yonkelowitz turns his students into amateur astrophysicists at Fayetteville Middle School in Fayetteville. To help them understand principles of aerodynamics and see Newton's Three Laws of Motion in action, Mr. Yonkelowitz has them build and launch rockets made from two-liter soda bottles. Students also learn accounting skills, drawing from a class budget for project expenses, which include materials, fuel and a launch pad fee. He has presented workshops at Project NEED (National Energy Education Development) and the State Science Teacher Conference, and conducted training for the state's Coordinated and Thematic Science (CATS) professional development program. In 2002, Mr. Yonkelowitz was a national winner of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math/Science Teaching. That same year, he earned National Board Certification.
1999 Marshall University, M.A.
