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It’s always perfect launch weather when students venture beyond their schoolyards and enter a Challenger Learning Center. Within minutes, they are transported throughout the Solar System—perhaps to rendezvous with a comet, or maybe even voyage to the Moon or Mars.
I had an excellent time at the Challenger Center. I got to be the Navigator. The hardest part was when I had to find the exact spot to launch the probe. At first, I thought it was going to be easy. Then I realized it was really hard. When it was done, I knew my class had done something very difficult, and that we had worked together to accomplish it.
Challenger Learning Centers offer realistic mock-ups of Mission Control and an orbiting space station. Students join teams at computer consoles or onboard the orbiting space lab, rev up their imaginations, and work together toward the mission's goal, whether it is the launching of a probe or the interception of a comet.
It's clear that a visit to a Challenger Learning Center isn't just a field trip—it is a deeply grounded learning experience that engages students, transforming them into scientists, engineers, or researchers, and placing them in a simulated space mission where they solve real-life challenges.
Rooted in national education standards in all of the communities we serve, Challenger Learning Centers reach approximately 400,000 students and upwards of 20,000 teachers per year through a broad array of mission-based activities.
Regardless of a student's cultural background, economic situation, gender, learning style, or academic level, every Challenger Learning Center simulation provides students with an opportunity to succeed. Every mission is successful! Students leave with a renewed spirit of camaraderie and boosted self-esteem.
Mission Simulations
Experience the excitement of a Challenger Learning Center mission simulation while retaining gravity. Take a virtual tour of a Learning Center simulator, find out what team members comprise your flight crew, and learn about the intense preparation our astronauts and engineers complete prior to their mission.
Learning Center Network
Hands on leads to minds on. A powerful philosophy enacted daily at each of the 47 Challenger Learning Centers located throughout the United States, Canada, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. Find the location of your local Challenger Learning Center, and learn how it contributes to a vibrant learning community.
Professional Development
A variety of teacher training opportunities are offered at Challenger Learning Centers throughout the year. Learning Center programs are designed to inspire confidence when teaching science and, occasionally, just to inspire.
Learning Center Careers
While each Challenger Learning Center has its own specific staffing requirements, all facilities employ master teachers, called Flight Directors, who lead students daily on their voyages to Mars, the moon, and other parts of the Solar System.
Additional Information
For more information on Challenger Learning Center programs, please contact a Learning Center Coordinator via e-mail at ns@challenger.org; by telephone at (877) 443-5701 or (816) 471-7770; or by completing the Feedback Form.
