About Us

June Scobee Rodgers, Ph.D.
Challenger Center Founding Chairman

Why did Challenger Center evolve with such a strong educational focus?

After the accident, all the families came together and pondered how we could complete the mission for our loved ones—people who had believed in their work so deeply they were willing to risk their lives for it. What could we do for the children across the nation who were waiting for those lessons? We just couldn't let the words "Challenger" or "space" mean something sad for children. So the idea of a living tribute to carry on the educational mission of the crew developed into Challenger Center. This tribute would utilize the excitement of space to inspire and motivate our nation's schoolchildren to take interest in mathematics, science, and technology.

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Given that Challenger Center's full title is "Challenger Center for Space Science Education," how do you define "space science?"

At Texas A&M, I was given the opportunity to teach space science to high school, college-bound students. I interviewed those students to ask them what space science would be...and that's how I learned it’s not just astronomy, mathematics, and science; it's also technology, art, communication, and the adventure of space travel. It's working together as a team on a mission. When youngsters described what space science was to them, they wanted to involve more imagination and look to their own futures.

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What makes space science so effective in the classroom?

Space science takes students on an adventure. Space science is more than the traditional lockstep, more than a preplanned, cookbook lab assignment. It encourages open-ended discussion and real-world action in a time zone of their own making: the not-too-distant future. It also opens the door for many students to show them career opportunities in engineering, medicine, science, and communications.

I think teachers across the nation would agree with me that the reward for teaching goes beyond the textbook to helping each child reach his or her best potential. That's part of what the Challenger astronauts were all about. They came from diverse backgrounds and meager beginnings. Somewhere along the way, each of them had someone that gave them hope, provided mentorship, and said, "You can be all that you dream to be. Reach for the stars."

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Challenger Center activities are heavily simulation-based. Why is that?

Kids learn through seeing and hearing and interacting and feeling.

That's why they love computer games, scary or funny movies, and sports. Their emotions are at a peak; they're alert. When they're interacting with one another or working towards solving a problem in a team effort, they're using all their senses. Because they've personally participated, they can recall the lesson from their own experience, and that has much more impact than simply recalling facts they've read or heard.

The Challenger Center philosophy isn't that new for a lot of teachers. For years, many have been providing simulation activities to supplement their lessons in all facets of education. As just one example, a 1st-grade teacher who's teaching children how to count money might use cardboard boxes to build stores and give the youngsters Monopoly money so they can buy merchandise and make change. That's a simulation. Challenger Center just follows the lead of these innovative teachers by using today's simulation technology to teach for tomorrow.

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There are many different circles of people involved in Challenger Center. Where do our educator members fit in?

Teachers have such an important role in so many different ways. They can tell the Challenger Center story to other teachers. If they don't have a local Challenger Center, they can make the community aware of the opportunities to build these Learning Center simulators as part of a school or museum. They can use the materials we send, share them with one another, and make suggestions. They're not only members, but an integral part of the team building Challenger Center. After all, Challenger Center was created by teachers for teachers and their students.

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Would you say Challenger Center is a lifelong activity for you?

Any teacher that has taught a youngster is always that youngster's teacher. You'll follow students as they grow up and move on to advanced degrees and new jobs. A caring teacher can make a real difference in a child's life. So Challenger Center is similar to that. It's something I take pride in because it is growing, becoming independent, just as you want a child to grow up and move on. And even if we've reached only one child, or helped one teacher work with a classroom of youngsters to motivate them, then we've had a great impact.

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