About Us

John T. Meredith, M.D.
Proponent
Challenger Learning Center Emerging Site

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?"

To me, continuing the mission means continuing with manned exploration of space. As human beings, we are meant to discover and to explore. This is how we have adapted to become one of the most successful species on this planet. It is now time for us to move on into the Solar System. This mission details discovery, learning, teamwork, communications, and most of all leadership. All of these are attributes that a Challenger Learning Center teaches.

---

How do you think a Challenger Learning Center will change your community, especially in its commitment to education?

I think it is going to result in increased expenditure per student in this region and a stronger commitment among the various school boards and county governments to science and math education. We will never break the poverty cycle or recruit the high-quality clean industries that everyone is competing for unless this commitment happens.

---

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

Oh boy, this gets a little personal. When the Challenger accident happened, I was a third-year medical student at UTMB in Galveston, Texas. I was doing a psychiatry rotation and watching the launch in the "day room" of a locked-down psychiatry unit, filled with noisy and very disruptive psychiatry patients.

I remember that when the Challenger exploded, everyone became absolutely quite and still. Even these patients who had a very distorted view of reality knew something terrible had happened to the Challenger shuttle. I knew what had happened and I knew what the fate of the crew would be.

But what I remember most, and what I like to remember, is the crew walking out from the preparation area to the van just before launch. You can see in their faces the anticipation of a mission that they all have worked very long and hard to prepare for. There is a sense of exhilaration and an obvious impression of a team going into space to start their mission. At that moment, I think they conveyed something very important for all of us. That is, through hard work, team effort, and education you really can achieve your dreams.

---

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

I would tell them that a Learning Center is an invaluable educational resource for a community. To inspire a child to learn and discover is a tremendous accomplishment. Children are naturally attracted and interested in space. I think the current events surrounding space exploration and particularly the goal to return to the Moon and then move onto Mars demonstrates this very well. The Challenger Learning Center program allows for the translation of these events into hands on activities that really connect with children.

---

Where is the new Challenger Learning Center to be located?

We are planning to co-locate with a regional science center that we are developing for eastern North Carolina. We do have a specific site. East Carolina University along with the City of Greenville are developing a major west-to-east corridor through Greenville, from the medical school campus to the main university campus. This is known as the 10th Street Corridor.

Our plans are to locate the science center along this corridor. It will then be close to the main ECU main campus and have excellent accessibility for the general population.

---

Why did your community decide to build a Challenger Learning Center?

A Challenger Learning Center for eastern North Carolina is a very rational and easy fit. One of the Challenger astronauts was from eastern North Carolina. So we have a real connection to the Challenger astronauts and Challenger Learning Center program.

Additionally, this region is a major under-served region of our country. We have poverty levels that approach third world criteria. If we are to do anything about this problem, we must enhance the level of public education in science and math. A Learning Center meets many of the new curriculum requirements.

Finally, a Learning Center is an excellent augmentation to any science center program.

---

What is it about the organization’s mission that appealed to you?

There are several appealing aspects to the Challenger Learning Center program. First, it gets children really excited about space science and learning in general. Second, for young children it builds communication and teamwork skills like no other learning program. Third, a CLC inspires children. You just have to watch a class conducting one of the CLC flight programs to truly appreciate the level of enthusiasm and inspiration that can be achieved.

---