[SatNews] The opening ceremony of the Space Foundation's 31st Space Symposium will begin with the presentation of its highest education award to one of the nation's most notable educators.
The 2015 Alan Shepard Technology in Education Awardee, June Scobee Rodgers.
June Scobee Rodgers, Founding Chairman for the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, has been selected by the Astronauts Memorial Foundation (AMF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Space Foundation as recipient of the 2015 Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award. The award is given annually in recognition of creative and innovative use of technology by K-12 educators, or district-level education personnel.
The award will be presented to Rodgers during the opening ceremony on April 13 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. The ceremony is co-sponsored by Northrop Grumman, and the award presentation will be followed with a by-invitation reception co-hosted by the Astronauts Memorial Foundation. The Space Symposium is the annual gathering of all sectors of the global space community, to be held April 13 to 16 at The Broadmoor, and includes programs for select educators and students. See the agenda, speakers and registration information at https://www.spacesymposium.org/.
Rodgers has taught every grade-level from kindergarten through college. As Founding Chairman for the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, she has appeared on numerous national television programs promoting innovative educational partnerships, and has served on the President's National Advisory Council on Education. Each year, more than 500,000 students participate in programs at the nearly 50 Challenger Learning Centers located throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and South Korea. Rodgers holds a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University, and a Master's from Chapman College, both in curriculum and instruction. She also attended San Antonio Community College, Charleston Southern University and received an Honorary Doctor of Science Degree from the University of Leicester, U.K. Rodgers is the widow of Francis Richard "Dick" Scobee, who was killed commanding the Space Shuttle Challenger on January 28, 1986, after booster failure during launch of the STS-51-L mission.
About the Award
Alan Shepard, one of the nation's original seven Mercury astronauts, was the first American to fly in space, one of only 12 humans who have walked on the Moon and a former AMF board member. The award named for him recognizes excellence, quality and innovation in the development and application of technology in the classroom, or to the professional development of teachers. More information about the award is available at https://www.amfcse.org/, and see the list of past recipients at https://www.spacefoundation.org/about/awards.
About the Astronaut Memorial Foundation
AMF, based at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, honors and memorializes astronauts who have sacrificed their lives for the nation and the space program by sponsoring the national Space Mirror Memorial and by implementing innovative educational technology programs. AMF partners with NASA to provide technology training to educators throughout the nation with emphasis on space-related technology. In addition, at The Center for Space Education, AMF offers space-related educational opportunities for individuals to improve the quality of the workforce in the space industry. For more information, go to https://www.amfcse.org.
