Christa McAuliffe
Click the picture to go to Christa McAuliffe Neighborhood Park page
The school which was opened in 1987 is named in honor of the space shuttle Challenger and her courageous crew. On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger disintegrated during lift-off, ending the lives of all seven crewmembers including the first “Teacher in Space”, Christa McAuliffe. The name “Challenger” captures the energy and the inspiration associated with commitment to success. It dares one to go beyond one’s limits, to have high expectations, to touch the future. The crew’s love for their country, commitment to excellence and appreciation of education were elements that led to their success. The memory of that crew will serve as a role model for our multi-ethnic student population. Christa McAuliffe September 2, 1948 – January 28, 1986 – First Teacher in Space -Mrs. McAuliffe was a social studies teacher from Concord, NH who chosen by NASA out of thousands of applicants to develop lessons and teach all of us about space. She considered it to be The Ultimate Field Trip. In order to be part of the crew, she trained for 114 hours just like all the other astronauts. She loved to teach and her motto was “I touch the future, I teach.” The park near Challenger Middle School was named in her honor.
The above history was taken from Wikipedia.