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CHALLENGER CENTER ANNUAL REPORT CHALLENGER CENTER - 2015 1 CHALLENGER.ORG CONTENTS A MESSAGE FROM THE LEADERSHIP The story of 2015 is one of expansion. From opening new Challenger Learning Centers, to securing funding to develop innovative STEM programming, to growing our talents with new board members and headquarters staff, Challenger Center focused on taking steps that would have a significant influence on our reach. All of this work for one goal – to inspire as many students as possible. The year included substantial advances on our next two Center-based STEM missions, Expedition Mars A Message from the Expansion Special Events and Operation Comet, which will launch in the fall of 2016 and spring of 2017 respectively. We finalized the Leadership ocean-science based storyline of our first ever classroom-based program, a huge milestone in our effort to expand into the classroom. Our decades of experience in STEM education have motivated students, helping them in their journey to success. But we know it is not enough. Over the past few years, we identified the need to further enhance our current programming and agreed to make a commitment to find ways to reach into more communities. By December, we found a way to make that possible when NASA chose our program, CodeRED: My STEM Mission, for a cooperative agreement. Our aim to strengthen the programs we have and determination to engage students, teachers and parents in communities that may not have access to a Challenger Learning Center, can now become a reality. Around the Globe Financials Donors and Partners Now more than ever there is a need to provide effective STEM education. Surveys of teachers, international assessment scores, and interviews with employers are all pointing to a need for an innovative approach – an approach that Challenger Center offers. We are primed and ready to take on this challenge, ready for our next giant leap, and know that none of this would be possible without each of you. THANK YOU. Thank you for your support, encouragement, and shared passions. As we look to the future, we remain committed to excite, prepare and inspire students around the world. Leadership and Staff CHALLENGER CENTER - 2015 CHALLENGER CENTER - 2015 June Scobee Rodgers, Ph.D. Kent Rominger Lance Bush, Ph.D. 1 Founding Chair Chairman, Board of Directors President and CEO 2 PROGRAMS COUNTDOWN TO LAUNCH AT CENTERS RED HOT NASA AGREEMENT Following the successful launch of Earth Odyssey and Lunar Quest, two new Challenger Learning Center-based NASA has been a critical partner and multi-faceted educational missions, the team made significant progress on the next two missions – Expedition Mars and Operation Comet. supporter of our STEM education programming around the subject Through the course of the year, mission development teams were established and storyline discussions took place organization since its creation 30 of planetary science, in particular along with the initial phase of creating hands-on labs and mission-specific activities. Expedition Mars will be tested years ago. We were honored when Mars. With a focus to impact more in the spring of 2016 and launched at Centers that fall. Operation Comet development and testing will take place we were named one of only 27 students, the initiative will include after the Mars launch, and the final Mission will be introduced to Centers in early 2017. organizations to enter into a mobile apps for students and cooperative agreement to engage parents, community engagement learners of all ages on NASA’s science days at Challenger Learning education programs and activities. Centers, a flipped classroom course Our project, CodeRED: My STEM and distribution of our new Mission, includes comprehensive, Expedition Mars mission. DEEP DIVE INTO ENGILEARN We made exciting gains in the be utilized in our software; second year of our four-year project enhanced the overall program model to transform our Challenger Center to strengthen the student experience; experience into a classroom-based completed the alpha version mission program. EngiLearn, our new animations and multi-media interactive and dynamic software components; and finalized major platform, delivers a hands-on components of the embedded educational program for students, assessment and program engineered to meet our intended evaluation features. outcomes while creating a In fall 2016 and spring 2017, we user-friendly format to support will run a large-scale pilot program teachers. This project is made involving approximately 30 schools Using the EngiLearn™ platform, students possible through tremendous and 3,000 children from a wide range are transported to the bottom of the partner support and an Investing in of socio-economic and geographic Innovation grant from the backgrounds. Approximately 1,500 ocean to a virtual underwater research Department of Education. students will experience the station and submarine and are immediately In the second year of the project, we EngiLearn ocean program and immersed in different areas of study finalized the ocean-science based 1,500 students will serve as including marine biology, oceanography, storyline, storyboards and content to a control group. meteorology, and geology. CHALLENGER CENTER CHALLENGER CENTER - 2015 CHALLENGER CENTER - 2015 3 4 LEADERS FOOTPRINT The Board of Directors elected seven new members in a strategic move to further broaden its leadership group. The For several years, our team worked previously existing Center in the state relationships with new communities additions included the creation of a seat reserved for an Apollo 1 representative, adding to positions already reserved with leaders and local community to their own community. To provide working to open their own Challenger for Challenger and Columbia families. Each of the chosen individuals has displayed great success in their respective members in Schenectady, NY to local students with the innovative Learning Center. Many of these career and bring a unique skillset to the team. Together, the Board of Directors continue to guide the organization’s bring an innovative STEM educa- and unique STEM education locations are in the beginning of our commitment to build on the legacy of the fallen astronauts by inspiring the next generation of leaders and innovators. tion resource to their students and resource, the Challenger Learning process and several groups were teachers. In May, that hard work Center of Las Cruces opened with able to move along quickly, building paid off when Challenger Learning help from the Board of Education, momentum and outreach within Center of the Capital Region at miSci Superintendent, Chamber of their regions with key stakeholders. celebrated its grand opening. The Commerce Conquistadores, Virgin In 2015, we continued conversations Center serves school children from Galactic and Spaceport America. with communities both in the United northeastern New York, western The Center plans to host every 6th States and abroad, including Massachusetts, and southern Vermont. grade student in the district twice Frankenmuth, MI; Houston, TX; Demonstrating great dedication to during the school year in an effort to Indiana, PA; Minneapolis, MN (Eagan, the students of the community, we help cultivate a future generation of MN); Nashville, TN; Norfolk, VA; are thrilled to have this new presence lifelong learners. Seymour, TN; Riverside, CA; Abu Dhabi, in Schenectady. UAE; Ashington, UK; and Haifa, Israel. Capt. Mark Kelly Leslee Gilbert Kathie Klein Robert Curbeam As we make great strides toward USN, Retired, Former NASA Astronaut Vice President, Van Scoyoc Associates Center Director, Buehler Challenger & Deputy and Vice President of Space Las Cruces Public Schools in New impacting as many students as Science Center Systems, Raytheon Space and Mexico worked to relocate the only possible, we continue to build Airborne Systems, Former NASA Astronaut “To encourage children into science and engineering has been one of my passions for decades.” – Carol Vorderman Lowell Grissom John Shannon Carol Vorderman Brother of Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Vice President and Program MBE, British TV host, Group Captain Apollo Family Representative Manager, Space Launch RAFVR(T) as Ambassador-Air Cadets Systems, Boeing PARTNERS The impact we make on students as a hook to capture student imagi- Trading (ISTAT), which is dedicated around the world would not be nations and expose them to a wide to fostering and promoting interest possible without the continued range of STEM subjects and careers. and educational opportunities in commitment of our partners and Arianespace is the world’s first commercial aviation while providing donors. In 2015, our work to further commercial satellite launch a forum for those involved in the our reach included the addition of company. With its family of three aviation and supporting industries. ONLINE three new partners – Subaru launch vehicles – Ariane, Soyuz and The mission of the ISTAT Foundation of America, Arianespace, and Vega, Arianespace has the ability is to support individuals and institu- ISTAT Foundation. to launch any payload to any orbit tions that promote the advancement We launched a brand new website of commercial aviation and human- Subaru of America is committed to at any time. Arianespace’s commit- to share our STEM education story in itarianism. The ISTAT Foundation supporting STEM education and ment to use Space for a better life the most engaging and exciting way supported the development of building the workforce of the future. on Earth aligns with our work to possible. Working with the expertise Subaru supported the creation of a educate and excite students using Expedition Mars, our new Mars- themed mission, which is designed and creative talents of our partners Mars exploration-focused professional the awe and wonder of space explo- UPROAR!, the new Challenger.org development program for teachers ration. Since 1980, Arianespace has to inspire students to pursue a wide is intuitive and easy to use, with and supports the delivery of that performed missions placing more range of careers, including those in relevant and timely content. The program in the Camden City School than 500 satellites into orbit, and aviation.
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