Media Room

The Dream Flight USA Foundation, Inc. is organized and operated exclusively for educational purposes as specified in Section 501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Dream Flight USA Foundation and curriculum were developed by Sharon Ryan, a 5th grade teacher at John Marshall School in Wausau, WI.

Mrs. Ryan, a Presidential Award recipient, created a similar program in the Wausau School District which served students for ten years. 

The Dream Flight USA Foundation was formed in 2004.

The mission of the foundation, carried out through the shuttle program, is to motivate children in the elementary grades to learn.  The curriculum was developed primarily for students in the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades.

The Dream Flight USA Foundation's focal point is the Spirit of Education shuttle.

The Spirit of Education travels to schools throughout the Midwest from its launch pad near Spencer, WI.  Progressive Travel, a motor coach company located near Spencer, provides vital support for the shuttle and the shuttle program, including maintenance, pilots (drivers), mission control (dispatching), and cleaning.

The vehicle, a 2000 model Van Hool, was purchased in 2005.

The first shuttle mission took place in the summer of 2006, at the Deke Slayton Airfest in Lacrosse, WI. Mr. Slayton, a native of Sparta, WI, was one of the original US Astronauts.

The president of the Foundation is Robert Dudley. The complete board can be viewed on the "Directors" page.

Two retired astronauts, Mark Brown and Mark Lee, serve on the board of directors.

The shuttle is active throughout the year at schools and community events, including:

Wausau and Tomahawk School Districts during the summer of 2010.

EAA AirVenture 2010.

Discovery World in Milwaukee in April, 2010

Fly-ins at airports in Merrill, WI and Tomahawk, summer 2010

Wausau Labor Day Parade and Edgar Fire Department Parade, summer 2010

For more information, including graphics of the shuttle, please e-mail dream@dreamflightusa.com, or call 715-845-6392.

News Release: A sample news release regarding a shuttle mission can be viewed by clicking here.