A Global Community dedicated to a brighter future.
JANN BYTHEWAY
Virgin Galactic Future Astronaut
The Galactic Unite Bytheway Scholarship is a perpetual program providing $7,500 to first year female college students pursuing STEAM degrees at any 2-4 year college or university in the United States. The program has awarded six scholarships since 2012. Rewards are renewable for four years and candidates must be US citizens. For more information: Click here
CHERYL CUNNINGHAM
Civil Engineer
Owner of an engineering firm, Cheryl's passion is to inspire girls to recognize engineering as a viable career. She and her sister, Judy Cunningham, co-authored the I Can Be An Engineer collection of books for young children (K-2) that inform and excite the reader about engineering by telling stories from the perspective of a little girl. "Engineers dream, imagine, design and create!" is the prevailing refrain in each book.
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Cheryl created the non-profit organization, I Can Be An Engineer, with a mission to inspire young minds. Her program facilitates female engineers to visit schools and other venues to read the books and engage students in interactive discussion about engineering. For more information, please contact her at www.icanbeanengineer.com
MARCIA FIAMENGO
Virgin Galactic Future Astronaut
Marcia Fiamengo is an ardent champion of spaceflight education emboldening STEAM+ initiatives for the last fourteen years. A Future Astonaut since 2010, she's an engineer, explorer and informal educator. Marcia is co-producing a sequel to her documentary Generation Explore. Currently, she is piloting an early education program to put future astronauts and certified astronauts directly in classrooms across the country. For more information, please contact her at http://www.fiaanaut.space
STEVE GOLDMAN
Creator, Why U
Executive Director, Young Composers Challenge
With an entrepreneurial background and a passionate composer, Steve created Why U a STEM education website containing free animated mathematics videos. Why U animated videos are designed for mathematics students and instructors on the K-12 through college levels and as a resource for informal independent study. Why U videos are designed to give insight into the concepts on which the rules of mathematics are based. Why U can be viewed at www.WhyU.org or on the YouTube channel MyWhyU. Why U has over 6 million views to date and over 40,000 subscribers world-wide.
The National Young Composers Challenge is the top competition in America for young composers 13
to 18 years of age. Each year, a panel of judges selects at least six orchestra and ensemble compositions to be performed by professional musicians at the NYCC Composium at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Arts in Orlando, Florida. The Composium is recommended for any music student or music lover who is curious about the process of writing music and would like to gain an understanding of how a symphony orchestra works. Admission is free. For more information, go to www.YoungComposersChallenge.org.
LAURIE A GUZDA
Professional Actor/Director/Writer/Artist
Teaching comedy improvisation workshops throughout the country, Laurie focuses on "at risks" youths. She has crafted additional workshops that foster creativity via writing , art, music and photography. Her comedic training began in 1980 with Harvey Lembeck at Paramount Studios. She continued at ABC-TV. Her acting training came from both the Actor's Studio in LA and the Actor's Center in London. Her photography has garnered numerous awards. She has written for Paramount Studios, CBS News and National Park Service. Improvisation is an invaluable tool for strengthening communication, creative play, building team spirit and confidence. Students develop timing, listening and rhythm skills. In the words of Charlie Chaplin, "a day without laughter is a day wasted." For more information, click here.
SHARON HAGLE
Virgin Galactic Future Astronaut
Founder of SpaceKids Global, a non profit organization whose mission is to inspire elementary students in technology and space travel. Sharon has seen first hand how a simple visit to an elementary school can make a difference. Click here to sign your school up.
SHARON AND MARC HAGLE
Virgin Galactic Future Astronauts
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Pat Hynes serves as the Director of the New Mexico Space Grant Consottium (NMSGC), NASA Experimental Program for Competitive Research (EPSCoR) and AIAA Associate Fellow. In her role as NMSGC Director, she became involved in development of Spaceport America and commercial space programs. In 2005, she co-founded the
International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight. With proceeds from ISPCS, she founded the Student Launch Program which provided annual access to space from Spaceport America for research experiements. To learn more; click here
PAT HYNES
Virgin Galactic Future Astronaut
JOANN McPIKE
Virgin Galactic Future Astronaut
THINK GLOBAL is a traveling boarding school spending each 3 month term in a different country. Cost per school year is $79,000 USD to attend but 86% is covered by funds from a non profit. "It's not a school for the rich but for the right kids" said Founder, Joann McPike. Click here for more information: thinkglobalschool.org
TIM NASH
Virgin Galactic Future Astronaut
For the past several years, Tim has been very engaged in The African Digital Education Trust a non-profit company specialising in digital education and technology training. The EduTech Training Campus in Westbury, South Africa services students and teachers with courses covering educational leadership, computer literacy, blended learning, differentiated classrooms, digital teaching plans, and the use of STEM digital content.
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ADET has extensive experience working in East Africa and our programmes specifically focus on low-income and under supported students and schools from regional and urban townships. For more information click here
KEVIN OBARSKI
Virgin Galactic Future Astronaut
Realizing the impact of STEM education, Kasey and Kevin Obarski decided to offer financial assistance. Hosting a fundraiser
in their Atlanta home, they raised over $44K for Galactic Unite scholarships. The scholarship provides two $5000 mertit based renewable awards to first year female college students in the State of Georgia pursing STEM related fields.
Shortly afterwards, Kasey was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. She passed away
12 months later but not before also forming Jasper's Way, a not-for-profit charitable trust
dedicated to those suffering from cancer. In honor of Kasey, the Obarski family will continue
to provide opportunities for young women.
MIKE O'CONNELL
Virgin Galactic Future Astronaut
Since 2012 Mike has been involved in youth STEM education through classroom instruction and serving on the Board of Galactic Unite. He has participated in Google Hangouts with middle school classrooms across the country. He has coordinated STEM field trips in the San Francisco area to the 49'ers stadium and to a label manufacturing facility.
Leading space-and astronomy-related classroom activities since 1995. Ron has inspired thousands of students and adults. Through his work organizing Galactic Unite Spacechats (live video conferences using Google Hangouts) since 2014, he has united over 350 classrooms with Virgin Galactic Future Astronauts and staff from Virgin Galactic, The Spaceship Company and Virgin Orbit in one-on-one Q&A sessions., reaching 9,500 students as of July 2018.
Click here for more information.
RON ROSANO
Virgin Galactic Future Astronaut
CORRIN VARADY
In 2013, Varady founded the Institute of Digital Education Africa (IDEA). With this enterprise, Varady has organized a team of curriculum writers, designers, and technical developers to create two digital curriculum products that can be accessed on inexpensive tablets, which are gaining traction in African countries. The goal of the digital curriculums is to give students and teachers access to quality, up-to-date information that will adapt to many levels of comprehension. Email:
TAICHI YAMAZAKI
Virgin Galactic Future Astronaut
Founder of ASTRAX, a Japanese space business innovator, Taichi Yamazaki has inspired thousands of students about space. To learn more, follow him on Facebook
