About Us

On Receiving the Challenger Center Founders' Award

John Glenn
Former Senator (D-Ohio) and Astronaut

I want to thank Challenger Center for presenting me with the 1998 Founders' Award. It's a great honor for me and certainly one that I appreciate.

I had the privilege of serving on Challenger Center's Board of Directors at its inception 12 years ago, and I'm still proud to serve on the Advisory Board. I have had the rare opportunity to witness the extraordinary transformation of the organization. It is a great tribute to all who have contributed so much. The true honor goes to those who really got behind the vision of the Challenger family members.

The families of the astronauts shared a common vision to continue the mission of the astronauts. The heart of that mission was education.

The Challenger crew's mission to explore, to experiment, to teach led the families to create Challenger Center for Space Science Education with that very same objective. Challenger Center memorializes the astronauts better than any cold marble or granite ever could. A living, breathing Challenger Learning Center, and all the activities that go on there, really benefits our young people. It means something positive.

Challenger Center, because it's about the business of hearts and minds, of teaching and inspiring, of the hope for today and the promise of tomorrow, focuses on something that is very near and dear to my heart....math, science, and technology.

For children growing up today, math and science education is absolutely critical. It's not an option.

Space is truly our last frontier and the curious, questing spirit that brought us to its threshold will carry to worlds beyond our own. And more importantly, the young people of today will be the commanders, the pilots, the Mission Specialists of those flights tomorrow. That's what it's all about.

Inspiring...exploring...learning. It's our mission. That's hard to beat, and I couldn't agree with it more. Wow, what a mission!

April 23, 1998
Washington, D.C.

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