BOULDER, Colo., Jan. 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DreamUp, a public benefits edtech corporation that provides space-based educational programs for learners and educators, has moved its national headquarters to Boulder from Washington, D.C., and named seven inaugural members to its advisory board.
As the first company bringing space into the classroom and the classroom into space, DreamUp is uniquely positioned to reach kids globally with engaging and relevant STEM learning and the most cutting-edge space research and developments. Inspiring classes, homeschool programs and educational organizations around the globe through scientific discoveries in orbital and suborbital space, DreamUp ensures the sky is not the limit for learners and educators.
To date, DreamUp has empowered learners to conduct more than 400 research payloads on the International Space Station, launching student experiments on SpaceX and Northrop Grumman rockets through a special relationship with launch services provider NanoRacks and their Space Act Agreement with NASA. The company has also organized and supported student payloads on Blue Origin’s New Shepard space vehicle. Most recently, DreamUp launched four experiments, conducted and sponsored by iLEAD Schools, Space Center Houston, BASF and the CASIS Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy Space Station Challenge, on the SpaceX CRS-16 Dragon capsule that lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida Dec. 5 on a Falcon 9 rocket.
“Our goal is to make space accessible to everyone,” said Carie Lemack, co-founder and CEO of DreamUp. “Boulder is an ideal fit for DreamUp because entrepreneurship, innovation and education are all deeply ingrained in the fabric of the community. We are excited about the new opportunities in front of us, and we look forward to leveraging the knowledge and guidance of our accomplished advisory board members as we continue to grow and evolve.”
DreamUp is also announcing its first advisory board comprised of leaders in science, space and education, including:
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- Bart Epstein, president and CEO of the nonprofit Jefferson Education Exchange (JEX) and a research associate professor at the University of Virginia Curry School of Education.
- Lawrence B. Friedman, Ph.D., vice president at American Institutes for Research (AIR).
- Christian Greer, chief officer for science, education and experience at Saint Louis Science Center.
- Donald James, NASA's former associate administrator for the Office of Education.
- Abner Oakes, most recently the director of outreach and partnerships at the Alliance for Excellent Education and now an education consultant.
- Katrina Stevens, former deputy director at the U.S. Department of Education in the Office of Educational Technology and director of learning science at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
- Nicole Stott, a retired NASA astronaut, artist and founder of the Space for Art Foundation and advocate for science, technology, engineering, math and art (STEM/STEAM) education.
DreamUp’s advisory board will influence the organization’s innovation agenda and ensure learners around the globe can access the most comprehensive educational experiences possible, supporting scientific research and innovation efforts.
Cutting-edge and forward-thinking programs to foster learner interest in STEM, like DreamUp’s offerings, are critical. The World Economic Forum calculates that the U.S. had just 568,000 recent graduates in STEM disciplines, and Emerson’s fourth annual STEM survey revealed that two out of five Americans say the STEM worker shortage is at a crisis level. To help shore up the crisis, DreamUp’s mission is to realize an educational community where space-based research and space-based projects will be available to all learners, from primary to post-doctorate.
About DreamUp
Based in Boulder, CO, DreamUp is the first company bringing space into the classroom and the classroom into space. Uniquely positioned to inspire kids globally and engage them through scientific discoveries in space, DreamUp aims to foster an educational community where space-based research and projects will be available to all learners of all ages. DreamUp has a proven track record with more than 400 student research payloads from around the world launched on SpaceX and Northrop Grumman rockets to the International Space Station via a partnership with NanoRacks and its Space Act Agreement with NASA, as well as suborbitally on Blue Origin’s New Shepard space vehicle. For more information, visit https://www.dreamup.org/.