Daniel Barstow Brings 34 Years Education Experience

The Board of Directors of Challenger Center for Space Science Education named Daniel Barstow as the education organization's new President on Wednesday.

"I am thrilled that Dan Barstow has been selected by our Challenger Center Board to serve as our next president," said June Scobee Rodgers, Ph.D., widow of the Space Shuttle Challenger flight 51-L commander Dick Scobee, and the Founding Chairman of Challenger Center. "Congress and national reports have called for a revolution in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. With Dan Barstow as president, Challenger Center can become one of the most important forces for revolutionizing STEM education at a time when the nation's needs couldn't be greater. We are proud and honored to have Dan Barstow join our dedicated staff and network of over 50 Challenger Learning Centers."

Barstow comes to Challenger Center with 34 years experience in education, technology, research, science, integrating dynamic systems, writing and working with bilingual students and adults. Daniel Barstow was most recently the Director of TERC's Center for Earth and Space Science Education, one of the nation's leading centers for research and development in Earth and space science education. Mr. Barstow has directed a staff of 25 educators, scientists, curriculum developers, professional development specialists and technologists whose combined talents have created inquiry-based visualizations to explore Earth as a system.

Scobee Rogers adds that Barstow is the national chair of the Climate Literacy Network, and has been the principal investigator and co-PI on several NSF, NOAA and NASA initiatives, including Windows On Earth, ISS EarthKAM, GLOBE, National Model Earth Science Lab Course and MarsQuest Online.

Early in his career, Barstow taught elementary school, bilingual students, and coordinated city-wide gifted and talented programs. His understanding of the problems that students and teachers face in today's educational arena give Mr. Barstow the ability to create and direct curricula that meet the needs of the classroom while bringing the national standards and STEM objectives into their daily experiences.

As President, Barstow assumes responsibility of a non-for-profit organization dedicated to student and teacher excellence in science, technology, math and engineering education, preparing students for the workforce of tomorrow. The international network of Challenger Learning Centers brings the wonders of the universe to hundreds of thousands of students and educators annually.

Barstow will assume his responsibilities on December 1, 2008.

FMI: www.challenger.org