NASA’s partners and friends at Challenger Learning
Centers and the California Department of Education have
nurtured and engaged students for years, and they are
currently helping students and teachers cope with the
Columbia tragedy by providing helpful resources.
Dr. Adena Williams Loston, NASA’s Associate Administrator
for Education, said, “The Challenger families took on the
goal and responsibility for motivating students to continue
their quest and desire to forge ahead in space exploration
17 years ago. Since the Columbia mishap, the Challenger
Centers have once again proven their resounding and
undaunted strength by providing web-based resources for
talking with children about the tragedy. They have also
posted a letter to the children of the Columbia crew written
by Kathie Scobee Fulgham, daughter of Dick Scobee, the
Commander of the Space Shuttle Challenger.” “The California
Department of Education sent us a kind letter of
encouragement and has also offered resources in crisis
counseling,” she said.
The Educator Astronaut Program has received more than 2,200
nominations since the Columbia accident, and more than 4,900
total nominations since the program debuted on January 21,
2003.
The letter addressed to the children of the Columbia
astronauts, written by Kathie Scobee Fulgham and the
children of the Challenger crew, is posted on the Internet
at:
http://www.challenger.org/columbia/fulgham.html
Resources for talking with children about the tragedy are on
the California Department of Education Web site and the
Challenger Center Web site:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/spbranch/ssp/crisis.html
http://www.challenger.org/Talkwithkids.htm
To learn more about the Educator Astronaut Program and other
NASA education activities on the Internet visit:
For more information about NASA on the Internet:
