Jun 10, 2022 3 min read

A science teacher from East Washington will participate in a program at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida this summer.

Jonathan Riddle, who teachers in the middle school division of Sewickley Academy, has been selected to attend the 2022 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Landmarks of American History Workshop, “The Space Age of the Space Coast” from July 11-15.

He was among 72 people selected from among more than 210 applicants from 38 states. There will be 36 applicants at the July 11-15 session and 36 more at a session scheduled from July 25-29.

“Teachers from all over the nation can apply,” Riddle said. “They’re competitive. It was a pretty easy application process. I just had to do a couple essays.”

Riddle participated a few years ago in a similar NEH program in Montana called “The Richest Hills,” which focused on copper and gold mines in that state. He called that program “awesome” and wanted to apply for another that might spur his interest.

“It was very rewarding in a variety of ways,” Riddle said. “I’ve been looking since then for what else is out there. The Space Coast one came up. I saw they were really hitting some neat pieces there that are meaningful to me. It’s not just about the space, it’s not just about the engineers, but about how NASA has become better at including really talented people with a diverse background.”

The weeklong program will be held at the Astronauts Memorial Foundation at Kennedy Space Center. National and local faculty from various institutions, including the University of Central Florida and the University of Oklahoma, will guide participants as they explore the technological, political, social and environmental history of Florida’s Space Coast.

The workshop will include lectures and field trips to regional sites of historic and cultural significance.

“I think it’s going to be so neat to be at the site,” Riddle said. “The speakers that they have lined up, it looks dynamite. There’s an astronaut, there’s a couple engineers … The fabric of that place is seething with technology and innovation. I love that you’re at the site.”

Riddle said he’s also looking forward to spending time with the other teachers who will be there.

“Part of it is about learning what other teachers are doing and how their districts and schools are innovating, and that can be really rewarding,” Riddle said. “You get a couple of teachers together and it’s a professional week of networking and learning what they do well.”

Riddle has been a teacher at Sewickley Academy since 2009. In 2014, he was the recipient of the Clark Faculty Chair, presented to a teacher at the academy who displays a love of learning, leadership, and a commitment to the community.

He has had an interest in science throughout much of his life, spurred somewhat by a teacher at Johnstown High School.

“But I didn’t land on teaching until later in college,” he said. “Combining being around people and teaching them and with the science aspect, it’s been a very rewarding career. I’ve found a niche and continue to enjoy it.”

Teaching appears to be the family business. Riddle’s wife, Dr. Jennifer Harding, is a professor of English at Washington & Jefferson College.

It’s a profession that’s allowed him to participate in many interesting programs, such as “The Space Age of the Space Coast.”

“It’s going to be neat, especially after a year of very little travel,” Riddle said.