Challenger

Advisors: Lura Moore and Chamberlin Wendlandt

How to Join: Rendezvous With a Comet program selects 30 students based on a lottery; Voyage To Mars program selects 30 students who apply and must have A's and B's all year

In this program, students are immersed in a realistic Mission Control and Space Station environment: computer consoles, communication headsets, continuous messages on the loud speaker, electronic messages, teammates they can only see on video monitors, emergency sounds and flashing lights, and hands-on activities at science stations.

Challenger Learning Center, located in District 20, specifically designed simulation programs to provide students with an authentic encounter with science and technology. Science is presented in the context of a realistic space exploration. The technology is used as a tool to communicate with teammates and to solve problems and make decisions key to each mission’s success. The simulation creates a cooperative learning atmosphere underscored by teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and decision-making.