It’s with sadness that we remember, 35 years ago today, the Space Shuttle Challenger crew was lost 72 seconds after lift off from Cape Canaveral, while still in flight. These astronauts made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. ? One of them was teacher Christa McAuliffe ?‍?, who one of Tinley Park’s elementary schools and parks is named after:

McAuliffe was a high school social studies teacher in Concord, New Hampshire who was selected out of 11,000 applicants to be the first teacher in space.

Christa McAuliffe Elementary School (Kirby School District 140)
8944 W. 174th Street
Tinley Park, IL 60487
Phone: (708) 429-4565
Current Principal as of 2021: Dr. Annette Szczasny https://www.ksd140.org/mcauliffe