Challenger Center and AIAA Open Nominations for 2025 Trailblazing STEM Educator Award

Three winners will be honored for enthusiasm and dedication to STEM education

Washington and Reston, Va. (September 24, 2024) –  Challenger Center and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) announced they are accepting nominations for the 2025 Trailblazing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Educator Award. The annual award celebrates K-12 teachers going above and beyond to inspire the next generation of explorers and innovators. Nominations can be submitted online through December 1, 2024.

Three winners will be selected from the nominations. Each winner and their respective school or organization will be awarded $5,000. They will receive free access to Challenger Center’s STEM education programs. In addition, they will receive a trip to Washington, DC, to be honored at the 2025 AIAA Awards Gala, as well as a special presentation ceremony at their school. The winners also will have the opportunity to attend a space launch experience and/or a VIP tour of an aerospace facility.

“Teachers are essential in unlocking the potential of today’s students and fostering their interest in STEM,” said Valerie Fitton-Kane, vice president, Challenger Center. “We are excited to partner once again with the AIAA Foundation to celebrate outstanding STEM educators nationwide who go above and beyond to bring STEM to life for their students, inspiring them to explore the many opportunities available in STEM careers.”

“Educators are invaluable to our communities. We share a commitment with Challenger Center to invest in trailblazing educators because they are the clear force multiplier to inspiring our future workforce. They can spark students’ interest in STEM subjects, especially the science and engineering behind aerospace, that can drive a student’s future career choices,” said Laura McGill, chair, AIAA Foundation.

The award recognizes teachers who connect classroom lessons to the country’s current and future plans of STEM exploration and innovation, introduce students to STEM careers, and activate students’ imagination about space exploration.

The U.S. aerospace and defense industry leads the world in innovation, while still facing challenges of staffing a properly skilled and qualified workforce. Crucial gaps in diversity, equity, and inclusion must be addressed – more STEM-literate graduates are needed, greater participation is needed by women and ethnic minorities, and early retirements are creating a growing knowledge gap.

# # #

About Challenger Center
As a leader in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, Challenger Center provides hundreds of thousands of students annually with experiential education programs that engage students in hands-on learning opportunities. These programs, delivered in Challenger Learning Centers and classrooms, strengthen knowledge in STEM subjects and inspire students to pursue careers in these important fields. Challenger Center was created by the Challenger families to honor the crew of shuttle flight STS-51-L. For more information about Challenger Center, please visit https://www.challenger.org/ or connect on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

About AIAA Foundation
The AIAA Foundation inspires and supports the next generation of aerospace professionals. From classroom to career, the AIAA Foundation enables innovative K-12 and university programming, including STEM classroom grants, scholarships, conferences, and hands-on competitions. Founded in 1996, the AIAA Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt educational organization connected to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org or follow AIAA on X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Contacts

Challenger Center: Lisa Vernal, lvernal@challenger.org, 202-827-1573

AIAA: Rebecca Gray, RebeccaG@AIAA.org, 804-397-5270