Challenger Learning Center at SC4 is pleased to announce the addition of Operation Comet, a new mission that expands Center offering options to learners as young as third grade. Current Lunar Quest mission programming is available to learners in grades five and beyond.
“We’re thrilled to add more fun and exciting STEM learning opportunities at SC4,” said Kristin Copenhaver, chief marketing officer. “When we first launched the Challenger Learning Center in April 2022, there were many requests to bring in younger elementary groups. Many of those groups were able to take advantage of Experience Center programming, but Operation Comet helps us address the growing needs of STEM learning at this younger age level in additional new ways.”
Challenger Learning Center at SC4 is the only Center of its kind in Michigan and one of 40 Challenger Learning Centers nationwide and around the world. It is a fully immersive, space-themed experience aimed at deepening understanding and appreciation of STEM careers and topics and building critical 21st-century skills. It offers unique learning and team-building opportunities for students, educators, corporations and community residents.
In Operation Comet, the mission crew must quickly reengineer a robotic probe so that it can stop a comet from a direct collision with Earth. In Mission Lunar Quest, mission participants deploy a Lunar Exploration Rover to investigate areas of the lunar surface and make critical decisions to turn a potential catastrophe into NASA’s finest hour. Both missions meet national science standards for recommended grade levels and are scalable for older learners.
Since its launch in April 2022, more than 2,500 students, visitors, educators, business employees, community residents and friends from close to 100 zip codes have visited Challenger Learning Center at SC4.
To learn more or schedule a group mission, visit challenger.sc4.edu/visit/. Contact the Challenger Learning Center with questions at experiencecenter@sc4.edu or (810) 989-5789.
