In April 2010, Japan launched the Akatsuki orbiter to Venus. Dr. Takeshi Imamura, a scientist and associate professor with the Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science in Japan, was instrumental with the project and its launch. One recent morning in Framingham, students at the Christa McAuliffe Regional Charter School, via Skype, interviewed the Japanese professor on the Akatsuki orbiter project for research for their science project, which was displayed last night at Framingham State University. A perfect example of education, space, and technology combining to inspire students to learn…
The legacy of Christa Corrigan McAuliffe was in full force at Framingham State University last night during ceremonies marking the 25th anniversary of the Challenger disaster. McAuliffe, who grew up in Framingham and graduated from Framingham State in 1970, was a member of the Challenger crew that perished when the space shuttle exploded 73 seconds after lift-off on January 28, 1986. She was destined to be the first teacher in space and by her example a generation of students embraced science and technology as they matured and became parents. Those students of the 1980s are now educators and …
The students, faculty and staff at Christa McAuliffe Regional Charter Public School daily live the spirit of McAuliffe, a true educator who awakened the realities and possibilities of space travel for a generation of students. “She was active in the classroom and engaged students in learning,” said McAuliffe school director Kristin Harrison. “She encouraged students to explore and take risks with their learning.” The concept of “diving into their learning,” is paramount at McAuliffe, according to Harrison. Students at McAuliffe follow the Expeditionary Learning design, which emphasizes high …
On a recent wintry morning, the sixth grade class from Ashland Middle School filed into The Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Center on a mission ... a mission to Mars. Center Director, Mary Liscombe, explained the premise of the Mars mission, “The kids are astronauts who come to Mars in 2076 to relieve scientists who have been living and working on Mars for the past two years. The new astronauts use a Mars lander spaceship and it’s a six month flight to get there.” Each mission takes a total of two hours. The teamwork the kids learn during their morning at the Center prompts communication, problem …
Grace Corrigan, true to her name, lives her life full of dignity. The tragic quarter-century-mark anniversary of the death of her daughter in one of the most memorable public incidents in modern US history, has made this longtime town resident not bitter, but philosophical. Her daughter, Sharon Christa Corrigan, known more familiarly by her married name, McAuliffe, was killed on January 28, 1986, along with all six other crew members of the Space Shuttle Challenger 73 seconds after liftoff in Cape Canaveral, Fla. “So much time has gone by and obviously the whole family still misses her …
