OUR MISSION-CRITICAL PLAN
We have three goals to enhance programs and engage more students.
GOAL 01) Install state-of-the-art simulator & renovate learning spaces
Cost: $2.6 million
Much of our current simulation technology reflects the Space Shuttle era, which ended in 2011. In order to provide up-to-date tools and curricula that reflects current NASA missions to our in-person and remote students, we aim to install the latest participatory simulation system in our renovated space by 2025.
Our renovated Bangor facility will include updated computers and software, user-friendly audio and visual equipment, and modern scientific tools. We will serve as a regional hub of innovative STEM learning experiences that meets needs and expectations of today’s learners and that many Maine students are otherwise unable to access.
All five of the specialized rooms in which students plan and execute a mission will be redesigned. These include the Briefing, Mission Control, Airlock and Spacecraft rooms, as well as a launch simulator known as the Transport room. It is a fully immersive learning environment where we will be able to serve more than 10,000 students each year, thirty percent more than our current capacity.
Updated software, called Sim3+, draws on the latest innovations in virtual reality and computer graphics to provide remarkably realistic, immersive simulations that enable students to feel like they are participating in a current NASA mission. These simulations include Expedition Mars, Lunar Quest, Operation Comet, and Earth Odyssey, a mission focused on looking back at our home planet.
Sim3+ also guides students in conducting hands-on experiments and analyzing data, and presents background information on specific science topics. Educators can collect data, such as how students respond to questions, that help them evaluate student performance and develop effective lessons.
Once installed, the Challenger Learning Center of Maine will be one of only five Challenger Centers with this all-new, state-of-the-art simulator technology.
The Center has already won $2.2 million from NASA to help us achieve this goal.
GOAL 02) Expand scholarships to reach more students
Cost: $650,000
Help us ensure that cost is not an obstacle to any school, organization, or family that wants to participate in our programs.
In recent years, up to 70% of our participating schools and organizations required funding assistance. In particular, a lack of scholarship aid has hindered our efforts to ensure equitable access to our programs, especially by serving students in Maine’s under-resourced communities and those from groups underrepresented in STEM.
To close that gap, in each of the next three years we aim to incrementally increase funds available for scholarships to our missions, after school programs, and summer camps. Our goal is to increase scholarships by a total of 50% over the next three years, to $145,000 in 2027.
GOAL 03) Maintain a center of excellence
Cost: $500,000
We will ensure the Challenger Learning Center of Maine continues to provide a top-notch experience for the next generation of students. To succeed, we must expand our capacity to serve new schools, teachers, and students, engage new potential donors, and deepen our relationships with current supporters. We will build organizational resiliency by growing our financial reserves to so that every child we have the honor of serving experiences a first-class, immersive STEM program.
“Our middle schooler loves the Challenger Learning Center, especially making new friends and learning.”
— Parent of 2024 Visiting Camper