last modified: Thursday, June 10, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAXWELL AFB, Ala. — Mary Gurley, a kindergarten teacher at Taylor Road Academy in Montgomery, Ala., has been named Alabama Teacher of the Year by the Air Force Association's Aerospace Education Foundation.

Gurley was recognized at an appreciation luncheon for teachers at Taylor Road Academy on May 25, 2004. Presenting the award to her was retired Air Force Col. Al Allenback, state president of the Air Force Association and executive director of Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters.

Gurley first became interested in aerospace education after attending an AFA-sponsored workshop called “Launch into Learning,” presented by Head Elementary teacher Amy Salter of Montgomery. “I was so impressed with the hands-on flying machines we made, as well as the workshop speakers from the Air Force and Civil Air Patrol,” Gurley said. “I joined CAP that year as an aerospace education member and got wonderful classroom materials from CAP for kindergarten through eighth grade. I wanted to put them to good use.”

Gurley applied for a grant from the AFA Aerospace Education Foundation and used the funds to purchase books on aviation and materials for classroom projects. She also organized an Aerospace Week at the school which culminated in a “Flight Night” for students and parents. One of the highlights of Flight Night was a flying machine contest, in which students won cash prizes for constructing the longest-flying and most creative original flying machines. Gurley recruited judges for the contest from CAP's Alabama Wing.

“Mrs. Gurley is an inspiration to her students,” Allenback said. “She understands children's fascination with aviation and space and has parlayed that interest into effective classroom activities for a variety of age groups. She is one of Alabama's most ardent supporters of aerospace education, both for students and for the general public.”

Gurley will now be entered into competition for the AFA's prestigious Christa McAuliffe Award. This national award recognizes a teacher who demonstrates excellence both in general teaching and in the use of aerospace-related classroom activities.

Gurley has more than 30 years of classroom experience and is certified to teach in the states of Tennessee, Texas, Mississippi, Wyoming and Alabama. She has worked extensively in the “open school” environment and in private schools where she has helped develop individual
learning plans for students. Before coming to Taylor Road Academy, Gurley taught at Halcyon Elementary and Highland Gardens Accelerated School. She and husband Lee have lived in Montgomery since 2000 and have two sons.

Civil Air Patrol, the official Air Force auxiliary, is a nonprofit organization with almost 62,000 members nationwide. CAP performs 95% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Its volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counterdrug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members take a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to the almost 27,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet programs. CAP has been performing missions for America for more than 60 years.

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