GET INTERESTED IN STEM, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH. >> THE TEACHER WHO WILL BE GOING INTO SPACE, CHRISTA MCAULIFFE. ERIN: CHOSEN TO BE THE FIRST CIVILIAN IN SPACE, CHRISTA MCAULIFFE IS REMEMBERED FOR HER PIONEER SPIRIT, AND NOW 35 YEARS AFTER THE LOSS OF CHALLENGER, THE CONCORD EDUCATOR IS BEING HONORED ON THE COUNTRY’S FIRST COMMEMORATIVE COIN FEATURING A TEACHER. >> WE ARE THRILLED BY ITS BEAUTY AND WE’RE THRILLED BY ITS SYMBOLISM. CHRISTA WOULD HAVE I KNOW ESPECIALLY APPROVE OF THE SEVEN STARS ON THE COIN THAT REPRESENT HER CREW MEMBERS. IT WAS THE RESULT OF A LOT OF HARD WORK, A LOT OF IMAGINATION, INDEFATIGABLE EFFORT BY ONE DEAN KAMEN. ERIN: NEW HAMPSHIRE INVENTOR DEAN KAMEN LED THE CHARGE FOR THE COIN AFTER THE SHUTTLE TRAGEDY. HIS PARENTS WERE IN FLORIDA FOR THE LAUNCH IN 1986. >> THE THEN-GOVERNOR ASKS MY DAD, WHO IS AN ARTIST, IF HE WOULD BE WILLING TO FLY DOWN TO THE LAUNCH THE REASON HE ASKED MY DAD TO GO DOWN THERE WAS BECAUSE MY DAD WAS SUPPOSED TO MAKE SOME ART INCLUDING MURALS AND OTHER THINGS THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE HISTORY OF THIS AT THE STATE HOUS WELL, OF COURSE THERE, MY MOM AND MY DAD ARE WATCHING LI WHAT IS GOING ON. AND THEN WHEN THEY QUICK REALIZED HOW DEVASTATING IT WAS, THAT ALL SEVEN OF THESE PEOPLE ARE GONE, THE TRAUMA WAS UNBELIEVABLE. ERIN: KAMEN’S FATHER DREW THE CONCEPT ART FOR A COIN, AND IN THE LATE 1980’S, KAMEN STARTED TO PITCH HIS IDEA IN WASHINGTON, A COIN TO RECOGNIZE CHRISTA, AND PROMOTE STEM EDUCATION BY SUPPORTING FIRST, THE NON-PROFIT KAMEN FOUNDED. AN ORGANIZATION WHICH HOSTS ROBOTIC COMPETITIONS ALL OVER THE COUNTR >> IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT YOU BELIEVE IN, YOU JUST NEVER GIVE UP. ERIN: OVER THE YEARS, FIRST TEAMS TRAVELED TO D.C. TO ADVOCATE FOR CHRISTA’S COIN. AND FINALLY, IT WAS PASSED BY CONGRESS IN 2019 ♪ JUDGE MCAULIFFE AND KAMEN REVEALED THE FINAL DESIGN AT THE MCAULIFFE-SHEPHERD DISCOVERY CENTER. >> WE WERE FIRST TOLD THAT THEY DON’T PUT THE NAME O ORGANIZATIONS ON COINS. BUT THERE IS A FIRST FOR EVERYTHING. AND ON THE FIRST COIN WITH T FIRST TEACHER ON A COIN, WE HAVE THE FIRST LOGO ON A COIN >> CHRISTA INSISTED ALWAYS, ALWAYS INSISTED THAT HER PROPER ROLE WAS THAT OF A REPRESENTATIVE IT WAS NOT ABOUT HER IN HER MIND. IN HER VIEW SHE WAS CHOSEN TO WELL REPRESENT HER CLASSROOM TEACHER COLLEAGUES. THAT WAS THE ROLE SHE RELISHED, THAT WAS THE ROLE SHE EMBRACED. SHE WOULD INSIST THAT AL TEACHERS SEE AND ACCEPT THIS NEW UNITED STATES COIN FOR WHAT IT ACTUALLY IS, A TRIBUTE TO THEM. ERIN: IN THE CONCORD SCHOOL THAT NOW BEARS HER NAME, THE FIRST CHRISTA MCAULIFFE COMMEMORATIVE COIN WAS PRESENTED TO THE FIRST LADY, AN EDUCATOR HERSEL >> THERE IS A SAYING THAT CHRISTA LOVED AND IT’S INSCRIBED ON THE COIN THAT WE UNVEILED TODAY. I TOUCH THE FUTURE. I TEAC >> I HAVE MY COI AND IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL. ERIN: KRISTIN JACQUES, TAMM HICKEY, AND HOLLY MERROW, ALL HAD CHRISTA AS A TEACHER, AND NOW THEY’RE TEACHERS. >> I ACTUALLY RECEIVED A POSTCARD FROM HER WHEN SHE WAS CHOSEN FROM THE TOP 10. >> SHE HELPED YOU IF YOU WERE STRUGGLING, SHE WAS REAL WITH YOU IF YOU WERE NOT DOING THE WORK BUT WERE CAPABLE OF DOING THE WORK >> CHRISTA HAD A REALLY NICE WAY OF REACHING OUT TO EACH STUDENT, THE QUIETEST OF STUDENTS, SHE BROUGHT THE BEST OUT OF THEM. SO THAT IS MY GOAL AS A TEACHER AS WELL, TO REALLY RAISE THE KIDS UP AS HIGH AS I CAN. >> I ALWAYS TRY TO TELL THEM THEY CAN BE WHATEVER THEY WANT TO BE. REACH FOR THE STARS, I SAY ALL THAT STILL TO THESE STUDENTS. ERIN: PROCEEDS FROM CHRISTA’S COIN WILL ALLOW MORE KIDS TO PARTICIPATE IN FIRST. TODAY, TEAMS COMPETE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD. THE ONE AT MERRMACK HIGH SPENT MONTHS BUILDING THEIR ROBOT, AND PUT IT TO THE TEST AT DISTRICT EVENT RIGHT BEFORE THE PANDEMIC HIT. WHEN THE WINNER WAS ANNOUNCE THEIR TEAM, CHOP SHOP, TOOK THE CHECKERED FLAG >> WE WERE JUMPING UP AND DOWN AND HUGGING EACH OTHER AND CRYING. IT WAS JUST A REALLY MOVING MOMENT FOR US. >> I MEAN, WATCHING OUR ROBO COMPETE AND KNOWING THAT I WAS ABLE TO HELP AND CONTRIBUTE IN A WAY TO THAT VICTORY REALLY JUST HITS HOME FOR ME. >> IT’S JUST SO GREAT TO BE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY AND KNO THAT OTHER PEOPLE ENJOY IT AND LOVE TO DO IT TOO. >> I CAN’T THINK OF ANY OTHER SPORTING EVENT OR COMPETITION THAT WHERE YOU SEE SOMEONE WILLINGLY GIVE UP A PART TO SOMEONE THAT THEY ARE GOING GO COMPETE AGAINST. >> THE NEXT GENERATION OF KIDS IN THIS COUNTRY HAVE TO HAVE THAT SAME ENERGY TO INNOVATE AND THE SAME WILLINGNESS TO WO HARD DEVELOPING THAT MUSCLE HANGING BETWEEN THEIR EARS THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR SPORT AND ALL THE OTHERS IS IN OUR SPORT EVERY KID CAN TURN PRO. ERIN: MANCHESTER’S BRIAN BELLEY STARTED THE FIRST TEAM AT HIS HIGH SCHOOL, AND WENT ON TO BE MENTOR, AND A BOARD MEMBER. HIS FIRST EXPERIENCE LED TO A JOB AT BAE AND NOW A BUSINESS OF HIS OWN. >> IT TAUGHT ME TO NOT BE AFRAID TO TAKE RISK ERIN: THE COIN WILL INSPIRE A NEW GENERATION AND HONOR A TEACHER WHO INSPIRED A NATIO >> SHE TAUGHT US TO DREAM BIG AND TO NEVER STOP LEARNING. >> AND I THINK THIS IS A WONDERFUL TRIBUTE TO SHOW THAT YOU DO NEED TO GO AFTER YOUR DREAMS AND NEVER STO