About Us

Reed Steele
Lead Flight Director
Challenger Learning Center of Lucas County

How many years have you been a Flight Director?

Since 1997. A little over one year so far in Toledo, Ohio; three years at the Challenger Learning Center in Oakland, California; and two years in Sacramento, California.

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Why did you decide to work at a Challenger Learning Center? What was it about the organization’s mission that appealed to you? And, in retrospect, how has the experience been compared with your initial expectations?

Prior to joining Challenger Center, I was an aerospace education consultant and an arts-in-education consultant and performing artist, based out of Indianapolis Indiana. My degree is in education and theatre, I created hands on aerospace programs and workshops, performed for students in schools, and mentored other professional performers.

After visiting the Challenger Learning Center in Brownsburg, Indiana, in 1994 and performing for its grand opening event, I immediately wanted to be a part of the program. It was more advanced than I had been able to create with my limited budget and resources. As a matter of fact, the first time I participated in a mission myself, I was asked what job I would like to have. “I want to be the Flight Director,” was my immediate answer. Of course, that day I had to settle for the ISO station.

Don’t get me wrong; I had a great time and took that role very seriously. I was caught up in the realism and imagined how students would react to such a program. I believed very strongly in the program and what it has to offer students. So I volunteered whenever my schedule would permit. Utilizing a television broadcasting background, I helped out with the Learning Center’s video technology. When asked to apply for the Flight Director position in Sacramento, California, I jumped at the chance, even though it meant moving 2,500 miles to do it.

The program’s affiliation with NASA and the families of the Challenger 51-L crew immediately linked me to a world that I had only been able to penetrate by doing my own personal research at NASA education resource centers; participating in the adult Space Academy programs in Huntsville, Alabama; and touring NASA sites as a tourist. I took all of this much more seriously and seemed to know a great deal more about the space program than others on the trams and tours, including a few tour guides. I actually got a chuckle out of a visit to the National Air & Space Museum (in Washington, D.C.) when, while on a guided tour, the docent couldn’t answer a question asked by a patron. I quietly offered the answer and we moved on. After this occurred several times during the tour, I was given an invitation to become a docent at the NASM.

My enthusiasm for, and knowledge of, space flight and astronomy, surprisingly didn’t seem to be common knowledge. I had done my homework and was simply ready for the test. Maybe if and when I retire, I would probably very much enjoy giving tours and telling the stories and the history of the space program at NASM. But in the meantime, the joy of teaching and my enthusiasm for the space sciences has led me to zip up the flight suit and embark on over 1,500 (and still counting) student adventures to the Moon, Mars, and Comets over the past seven years.

There are a million things I could say about a Challenger Learning Center that appeal to me. I could say that it’s the way the simulations are run to immerse the students into the realism of the mission to help them to understand and appreciate math, science, teamwork, and communication. Or it could be the joy of working with the type of staff that is attracted to the program. It’s possible that my style of teaching matches that of the Challenger Learning Center program. It could be the connection with the adventure and excitement of space exploration that captures the imagination. It might be the quality of the training programs and workshops for teachers and students that catch my eye. All in all, it’s the combination of these and many other aspects of the Challenger Learning Center that appeal to me.

Challenger Learning Centers have been an experience that has constantly kept me learning. Each day I run a mission or develop and facilitate a program, I find myself learning much more than I thought my sights would take me. After opening several Learning Centers, I have found that the learning never stops--not as a Flight Director, a trainer, not as an administrator, nor as an apprentice. The potential to constantly absorb knowledge and understanding of the program, its operations, its history, and its mission are endless. I am grateful for the people with whom I have crossed paths throughout my career in the Challenger Learning Center family. They have guided and mentored me to a level at which I am confident with my skills and possess the strength to mentor others finding their way through the program.

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The founding family members of Challenger Center refer to Challenger Learning Centers as living memorials to the 51-L crew. What does it mean to you when you hear that you are "continuing their mission?"

I think that family members of Challenger crew 51-L definitely started the road for “continuing their mission.” Without opening a facility like the Challenger Learning Center, I cannot imagine how kids can continue their mission. Also, as they (students) continue their (51-L crew) mission, they can still learn about the tragedy of the Challenger crew. Never Forget!

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How has your Challenger Learning Center changed your community—especially in its commitment to education?

I definitely believe it has made a difference. More and more teachers and parents are interested in “educational programs” for their students and children, such as Challenger Learning Center missions. I am sure that they are taking advantage of this type of program, and they are having fun flying a mission at the same time they are learning multiple subjects.

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What was your most memorable Challenger Learning Center experience?

When the student finishes their mission and they say, “Can we do it again? This is better than Disneyland.”

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What do you remember most about the Challenger mission and its crew?

I was devastated at the loss of the crew, the shuttle, and the setback in the program. I remember the efforts and the pressure to launch. With Christa (McAuliffe) on board, and my interest in the educational focus of the mission, I got to know the crew on a more personal level through the news; therefore, I felt a greater loss on a more personal level when they were lost. I was looking forward to seeing Christa literally bouncing off the walls bringing the adventure and lessons home.

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If someone were to ask you about the value of a Challenger Learning Center program, how would you respond?

We inspire students to do their best and push the envelope of their potential. We strive to instill a sense of confidence in them that will carry them farther than they thought possible. They become less fearful of math and science, and learn very valuable life skills along the way, raising their personal level of expectation. We hope to improve the future with the work we do today.

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Any other comments?

If I never have the glorious opportunity to one day personally fly into space, I would hope that what I do at the Challenger Learning Center might allow a young person to stand on my shoulders and fly there for me.

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