Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Center Framingham State College 100 State Street, Framingham, MA 01701 (508) 626-4057 Fax: (508)626-4059 www.christa.org

As teacher, Mission Specialist, and Framingham State College alumna, Christa Corrigan McAuliffe has inspired both students and educators for nearly two decades. The McAuliffe Center was established to honor her commitment to education by providing exciting science and math programs, all closely based on the Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Frameworks. The Challenger Learning Center is the McAuliffe Center's best-known program. In full-size mockups of both Houston's Mission Control and a space station interior, middle-school students apply the principles of physical science to the real-time challenges of a simulated space flight.

Just up the hill is the newly renovated Framingham State College Planetarium. The thirty-foot dome brings the majesty of the universe down to Earth, with original programming from the McAuliffe Center that combines state-of-the-art technology with current educational philosophy.  In partnership with the Science Education Department of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the McAuliffe Center brings the ARIES hands-on astronomy curriculum to teachers across the United States. The McAuliffe Center's relationship with NASA gives teachers throughout New England access to the agencies numerous space-related programs, including Mission Mathematics, Liftoff to Learning, and frequent visits from the space agencies northeast educational representative.

In Harmony with Education connects FSC pre-service teachers with middle school students through the irresistible power of music. Created by Bose Corporation, the curriculum merges the teaching of math, science and music using hands-on performance and multimedia magic. Building a Presence for Science, a National Science Teachers Association program in which more than 150 Massachusetts science teachers facilitate the integration of science education standards into classrooms statewide, is yet another example of the Center's collaborative efforts. A wide variety of other math, science and education professional development programs fill out the McAuliffe Center's calendar. Many of these programs are also available to FSC students.

Administered through the McAuliffe Center and the FSC Financial Aid Office, the Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Scholarship Program was created to attract, recognize, and encourage exceptionally talented students wishing to study at the College. Successful applicants are awarded $1,000 toward full-time tuition and expenses, renewable for up to four years.