New Challenger Learning Center opens in Houston

HOUSTON, April 12 (Xinhua) -- A new Challenger Learning Center where students will be taught how to apply the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and math to a trip to outer space was launched on Thursday in Houston, the U.S. state of Texas.

The Challenger Learning Center at Houston Community College (HCC) will join a network of more than 40 Challenger Learning Centers around the globe.

"This will add to HCC's growing innovative educational offerings that already include participation in the city's new innovation corridor in Midtown and partnerships with NASA and the University of Houston to build a Mars surface habitat and other additional facilities for manned missions to Mars," said HCC Chancellor Cesar Maldonado.

"Today's students are the innovators, explorers and designers of tomorrow. We must nurture their excitement and inspire their imagination."

Each center is a fully immersive experience, including a mission control room and space station where students work with hands-on labs, conduct experiments and analyze data during a Challenger Center Mission. Students learn teamwork, communicate with one another to complete tasks and solve problems when emergencies arise.

The center offers a rigorous STEM curriculum that includes engineering, maritime logistics, drafting, math, physics and astronomy. It also has an astronomical observatory to serve students and the community.

In February, the HCC submitted a formal application to Challenger Center, headquartered in Washington D.C., to open a Challenger Learning Center. Approval came late last month. Enditem