Northwest Indiana’s Challenger Learning Center lands $963K for upgrades
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
The Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indiana has received $963,000 in federal funding to support upgrades to its mission control simulator.
Our partners at Lakeshore Public Media report the funding will allow the center to enhance its simulator with advanced software, communication systems and new audiovisual equipment.
The Challenger Learning Center is billed as a premier field trip destination for K-12 students. Located on the campus of Purdue University Northwest in Hammond, the center serves about 15,000 students annually.
In addition to the technological upgrades, the furnishings in the mission control simulator will be updated to resemble the existing Blue Origin facilities at NASA.
“By bringing the wonders of space exploration and science to life, we not only are teaching valuable skills like problem solving and critical thinking, teamwork, communication, but we are inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers and innovators, all of whom are going to shape our future,” Executive Director Lara Bates said.
The center plans to begin removing the old equipment in August and have the updated simulators operational by early October.
The federal funding was announced Friday during a news conference that included Congressman Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, who helped secure the funding earlier this year.
“Northwest Indiana is ready for liftoff,” Mrvan said. “It’s ready, and it’s starting to invest, not only in the students, but in STEM. And in this day and age, specifically today, with what we have going on, how important STEM is to the students who go through these doors.”
The Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indiana opened in 1999. It features a variety of programming for students, including team building missions, planetarium shows, and summer camps.