Program areas at Challenger Learning Center Colorado
On-site missions and programs - simulator missions employ three Space simulators to encourage students to pursue stem career fields as they apply lessons they have learned in their class to real-life, time-critical problems in an engaging, exciting environment. Educators deliver a co- curricular unit of study to their students in preparation for the field trip to the on-site mission. Students experience the excitement of a human Space mission as they work together to solve problems and find success as a team. In the second half day of their field trip, students learn about the planets and stars in the mikkelson planetarium, and work as teams to solve design/build or coding challenges in the maker Space.
Off-site programs and teacher professional development - the organization provides more than 50 days of portable planetarium shows at elementary schools and public Science events. This low cost-per-student activity gives schools a "field trip" for the entire school without incurring the cost and administrative work required for bus trips. The organization also focuses on providing world-class stem teacher professional development. A decade-long summer program known as stem bootcamp engages 100+ primary teachers per year in hands-on methods for stem and project-based Learning.
Off-site missions - distance-delivered "e-missions" are intended as a lower-cost option for schools outside reasonable driving distances, providing the excitement of a Challenger mission at about half the cost per pupil. Delivered via broadband, e-missions allow students to engage in "team stem" activities related to Space flight, emergency management, weather, or energy and the environment our flight directors connect to hundreds of distant classrooms each year.
Other programs including bootcamp, girls in stem, maker space,public weekend,summer camp and other small programs