The New Mexico AFL-CIO has its first female president--and she's an AFT member. Christine Trujillo, president of the AFT-affiliated New Mexico Federation of Educational Employees, was elected president of the New Mexico AFL-CIO in December. A 20-year veteran elementary classroom teacher and Taos native, she replaced outgoing president, Joe Chavez.

As president of the state AFL-CIO, Trujillo leads a federation of 202 local union affiliates scattered across New Mexico with 30,000 AFL-CIO members employed in all public and private job categories.

Trujillo previously served as political action and legislative issues vice president of the AFT affiliate in New Mexico and led the organization's 2000 general elections campaign. During the 2001 session of the Legislature, she helped persuade legislators to pass one of the largest public school employee salary increases in recent history.

The new AFL-CIO state federation president also worked closely with the Legislature and its Education Initiatives and Accountability Task Force to reform New Mexico's public schools.

In 1989, when teacher-turned-stay-at-home-mom Jeanne Gren attended the West Virginia conference on education as a parent, she was toying with the idea of going back to the classroom full time. After she heard then-AFT president Albert Shanker challenge the conference audience to develop world-class students, Gren knew it was time to return to her calling.

"I decided to join the AFT because of [Shanker's] passion for excellence in education," says Gren, who was recently named the 2002 West Virginia Teacher of the Year. "I have stayed a member because of the shared vision about the possibilities and importance of what we do. This organization provides support and encouragement in the pursuit of excellence."

Gren's pursuit of excellence was recognized by Barbara Pyle, also a former teacher-turned-stay-at-home-mom, who was a parent volunteer in Gren's first-grade class at Woodburn Elementary School in Morgantown. Pyle nominated Gren for the 2002 National Teacher of the Year Program, which is co-sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers and Scholastic Inc. "I was very honored to be nominated by someone with an education background and such dedication to our schools," says Gren. The entire class of 55 teachers who were finalists for the 2002 program were honored April 23 during a Rose Garden reception at the White House.

Gren does not consider herself to be "the best teacher," but rather the representative of lots of very wonderful teachers in West Virginia.

"I am lucky," she says. "I work very hard at what I do, not just in the classroom but also in the school community."

Seventh-grade life science teacher Shirley Greene has been doing double duty this year, as a teacher and as an ambassador--a NASA Solar System ambassador to be precise.

Greene, a member of the Billings (Mont.) Education Association, an affiliate of the merged Montana Education Association/Montana Federation of Teachers state federation, was one of 278 space enthusiasts selected by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to "teach earthlings about space" this year through public events such as lectures, community displays and library appearances.

The ambassadors will be kept abreast of planetary exploration and technological developments from the space program via monthly online training from NASA scientists, engineers and project team members.

"Any time the public can see all the things that we are learning [about space], it is good for society as a whole," says Greene, who teaches at Lewis and Clark Middle School. "Sometimes it's hard to relate why we spend all of the money that we do on space and space exploration, but once you understand the benefits we have gained, it makes a lot more sense."

Though Greene, a 21-year teaching veteran, has been interested in space exploration and its earthly applications for a long time, her participation last summer at the NASA Educators Workshop program in Houston buoyed her interest--and her knowledge--prompting her to apply for the 2002 ambassador program.

"I would encourage every teacher in math, science, geography or technology to sign up for the NASA Educators Workshop project," says Greene. "Log onto the NASA Web site at www.nasa.gov. There is a wealth of material out there that you can apply to any subject area."

Last year, 206 ambassadors in 48 states reached about 2.5 million people, according to Kay Ferrari, the ambassador program coordinator at JPL. This year, the program will reach all 50 states. For more information, visit www.jpl.nasa.gov.