St. Clair County Community College (SC4) is pleased to launch its Challenger Learning Center website and announce early mission registration opportunities for Michigan and Ontario students and educators, businesses and corporations, and community members.
SC4—in partnership with the Challenger Center, a nonprofit science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education organization, and in collaboration with Unity in Learning, which includes the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, the Leslie Science & Nature Center and the Yankee Air Museum—will officially launch its Challenger Learning Center on the College’s campus in Spring 2022.
The Challenger Learning Center at SC4 is the only Center of its kind in Michigan and one of 40 Centers nationwide and around the world. It is a fully immersive, space-themed, STEM experience aimed at deepening understanding and appreciation of STEM careers and topics and building critical 21st century skills. Challenger Center and its network of Challenger Learning Centers aim to ignite a passion for learning in students and open their eyes to new possibilities for the future. The Center offers unique learning and team-building opportunities for learners of all ages and unparalleled programming for 5th-8th grade learners (adaptable for 8th grade+) that aligns with national science standards.
Though the Challenger Learning Center at SC4 won’t officially launch until Spring 2022, early registration for the first space mission offering, Lunar Quest, is now open. Lunar Quest takes crew members, serving in a variety of STEM-based roles, to the Moon in search of a long-term human habitat. It is the first of four space missions that will take flight in the Challenger Learning Center at SC4. Half day (min. 18 guests/max. 35 guests) and full-day experiences (min. 36 guests/max. 70 guests) are available, and pricing varies based on mission experience.
“We’re thrilled to launch this website and open registration for those interested in reserving a mission experience,” said Dr. Deborah Snyder, president of St. Clair County Community College. “Our nation needs future leaders who are adept at understanding and solving the challenging problems of today and the future. The Challenger Learning Center at SC4 will help support STEM education, exploration and innovation with experiences that go far beyond an everyday field trip, outing or corporate training session.”
Additional opportunities such as a Galaxy Quest STEM Summer Camp will be available beginning in Summer 2022.
“We’re incredibly excited to see the momentum continue to build for the Challenger Learning Center at SC4,” said Lance Bush, president and CEO, Challenger Center. “We’re hard at work building the Spacecraft and preparing Mission Control to welcome students and community members to fly our newest space missions that we developed in partnership with NASA. The countdown has started and we can’t wait to open the doors of this new Center in 2022.”
Added Mel Drumm, president and CEO of Unity in Learning, “The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum is delighted to collaborate with SC4 upon the opening of the new Challenger Center. This new informal learning experience will immerse each participant into life-like simulations well beyond anything previously available in Southeast Michigan. As the newest member of the region’s Unity in Learning collaborative, the Challenger Center will join with three regional science, nature and aviation organizations to become the region’s newest destination for hands-on discovery, exploration of the natural world and experiences that take flight.”
Challenger Center was founded in 1986 in the aftermath of the Challenger accident by the crew’s families, who were firmly committed to carrying on the spirit of their loved ones and continuing the Challenger crew’s educational mission. Challenger Center and its network of Challenger Learning Centers have reached more than 5.5 million students worldwide.
For more information and to book a Lunar Quest mission, visit challenger.sc4.edu.
