Christa McAuliffe According to "The New York Times", she "emphasized the impact of ordinary people on history, saying they were as important to the historical record as kings, politicians or generals." In 1984, President Ronald Reagan announced the Teacher in Space Project, and Christa learned about NASA's efforts to find their first civilian, an educator, to fly into space. NASA wanted to find an "ordinary person," a gifted teacher who could communicate with students while in orbit. McAuliffe became one of more than 11,000 applicants. NASA hoped that sending a teacher into space would increase public interest in the Space Shuttle program,
The Christa McAuliffe Prize including befriending and helping deaf people expand their capacity to learn despite a closed learning center to virtually adopting students and helping them out financially while fighting school bureaucracy. The winning teacher receives a $1000 stipend and a plaque that is presented at a banquet held in his or her honor. This year the winning school will receive a $500 award to help support important school activities. Nominations for this award can be submitted to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln through their website and is open to any Nebraska teacher that demonstrates courage in education. The Christa McAuliffe Prize The Nebraska