Advances in technology and connectivity allow our Wheeling University Challenger Learning Center to offer programs that bring Challenger missions into your classroom. These programs -- called e- Missions -- uses a simple video call to create a live link between the students and our Chief Meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center, our mission control. Before each live simulation mission students complete lesson plans, hands-on activities, and mission practice, all of which open doors into science and math discovery. On mission day they form teams of experts, exam real time data, analyze it, and make their recommendations to the National Hurricane Center. Challenger's Chief Meteorologist guides the students to a successful solution of each crisis situation.

During the e-Mission: Hurricane Alert! students work as a team of specialist from NOAA's Extreme Weather Response Unit. Each team has  meteorological experts in monitoring weather data to accurately forecast atmospheric conditions. The teams consist of atmospheric meteorologist who monitor a variety of severe weather events. In this case the team will be helping to monitor very volatile conditions that appear to signal a very active storm period.

As a scenario unfolds, the team is working for the National Hurricane Center to assess the meteorological conditions that may place many areas in the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Eastern United States in danger.  Will the storm is grow in size and strength and develop into hurricanes? Where will the storms  track? What communities will be affected? How fast will they move and will advisories warn the residence before possible landfall? Hopefully the many storms building in Hurricane Alley will break apart before loss of life on lasting damage occurs.

Your team will analyze the data as it Is collected by various weather stations and air flights and predict not only the immediate forecast, but more long-range forecasts for potential flooding from storm surges. Under extreme weather conditions you may have to recommend evacuation of threatened areas to save lives and get people to safety.

e-Missions offer student centered engagement programs.  Students take ownership of their learning as active participants in an unfolding narrative, making decisions that impact outcomes and receiving immediate feedback on their actions.

Science teachers, educational researchers, and subject matter experts designed the programs, and teachers and students from around the country, as well as 24 countries around the globe, have participated in our live simulation learning experiences.