June Scobee Rodgers is 2015 Recipient of the Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Jan. 29, 2015) - 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.

June Scobee Rodgers, Ph.D., 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, Colo., 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 - 16 at The Broadmoor, and includes programs for select educators and students. See the agenda, speakers and registration information at www.spacesymposium.org.

About June Scobee Rodgers
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 degree 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, UK.

Rodgers is the widow of Francis Richard "Dick" Scobee, who was killed commanding the Space Shuttle Challenger on Jan. 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 www.amfcse.org, and see the list of past recipients at 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 http://www.amfcse.org.

About the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's civilian space program and aeronautics and aerospace research. Operational since 1958, NASA's mission is to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research. It has led U.S. space exploration including the Mercury and Gemini space programs, the Apollo missions to the Moon, the Space Shuttle, U.S. involvement in the International Space Station, the Hubble Telescope and robotic interplanetary and distant space missions. NASA is also responsible for long-term civilian and military aerospace research and research focused on better understanding Earth, the solar systems, and the universe beyond. For more information, go to www.nasa.gov.

About the Space Foundation
Founded in 1983, the Space Foundation is the foremost advocate for all sectors of space, and is a global, nonprofit leader in space awareness activities, educational programs and major industry events, including the annual Space Symposium, in support of its mission "to advance space-related endeavors to inspire, enable and propel humanity." Space Foundation World Headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA, has a public Discovery Center, including El Pomar Space Gallery, Northrop Grumman Science Center featuring Science On a Sphere® and the Lockheed Martin Space Education Center. The Space Foundation has a field office in Houston and conducts government affairs from its Washington, D.C., office. It annually publishes The Space Report: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity, and through its Space Certification^TM and Space Technology Hall of Fame® programs, recognizes space-based innovations that have been adapted to improve life on Earth. Visit www.SpaceFoundation.org, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube, and read our e-newsletter Space Watch.