Lockheed Martin Space Education Center Launches at Space Foundation Discovery Center
A $400,000 grant from Lockheed Martin Corporation has established the Lockheed Martin Space Education Center (LMSEC) at the Space Foundation Discovery Center in Colorado Springs.
LMSEC was dedicated in a public ceremony at the Space Foundation Discovery Center on May 12, and is already benefiting Colorado schoolchildren and educators, especially those at schools serving large concentrations of low-income and at-risk children. Lockheed Martin is a long-time champion of future innovators in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
“If we are to continue to make great advances in space, we must spark the curiosity of young minds and inspire students with the amazing opportunities aerospace has to offer,” said Rick Ambrose, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. “The opening of the Space Foundation’s Lockheed Martin Space Education Center will provide a powerful platform for the delivery of STEM education through hands-on interactive programming that brings math and science to life.”
“The Space Foundation Discovery Center was designed from the ground up to be a STEM-purposed center of formal and informal education in Colorado, and, through distance delivery technologies, the nation and world,” said Elliot Pulham, chief executive officer of the Space Foundation. “We are grateful to Lockheed Martin for the company’s enduring support of the Space Foundation, the Discovery Center and STEM education.”
Lockheed Martin funding is providing necessary STEM equipment and hardware for program delivery, scholarships for field trips and support for Space Foundation teacher professional development programs. An important piece of the Lockheed Martin funding is being used to offer not only on-site, but also ‘virtual’ field trips to classrooms in rural areas of Colorado and to schools across the country and around the world that would not otherwise have the resources to give their students an enriching STEM experience at this unique learning center.
Impact
The LMSEC will directly impact more than 8,000 students and teachers annually, and the long-term impact will grow exponentially from the ripple effect of hundreds of teachers becoming better trained and uniquely motivated to inspire current and future students. Hundreds of thousands of students will be reached and inspired to join the next generation of STEM leaders.
About Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin began operations in Colorado Springs, Colorado, 50 years ago, creating a foundation for a long-standing commitment to the Colorado Springs community. With a focus on strengthening the quality of life and enhancing the city’s economic growth, Lockheed Martin and its employees have contributed to supporting military families and programs that educate and inspire tomorrow’s scientists, engineers and mathematicians.
About the Space Foundation
Founded in 1983, the Space Foundation is the foremost advocate for all sectors of space, and is a global, nonprofit leader in space awareness activities, educational programs and major industry events, including the annual Space Symposium, in support of its mission “to advance space-related endeavors to inspire, enable and propel humanity.” Space Foundation World Headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA, has a public Discovery Center, including El Pomar Space Gallery, Northrop Grumman Science Center featuring Science On a Sphere® and the Lockheed Martin Space Education Center. The Space Foundation has a field office in Houston, and conducts government affairs from its Washington, D.C., office. It annually publishes The Space Report: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity, and through its Space Certification and Space Technology Hall of Fame® programs, recognizes space-based innovations that have been adapted to improve life on Earth. Visit www.SpaceFoundation.org, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube, and read our e-newsletter Space Watch.
