Congressional Record: In Recognition of the Discovery Museum’s Challenger Learning Center

IN RECOGNITION OF THE DISCOVERY MUSEUM’S CHALLENGER LEARNING CENTER — (Extensions of Remarks – October 12, 2007)

SPEECH OF HON. DORIS O. MATSUI OF CALIFORNIA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2007

Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, I rise in recognition of the 10-year anniversary of the Challenger Learning Center at the Discovery Museum of Sacramento’s Science and Space Center. For a decade, the Challenger Learning Center has been a vital educational resource for the Sacramento community. I ask all of my colleagues to join with me in acknowledging the 10 successful years of the Discovery Museum’s Challenger Learning Center.

On January 28, 1986, the United States lost seven astronauts aboard the Challenger Space Shuttle. It was a tragedy that we will never forget. To memorialize the lives and the commitment to education of the astronauts aboard the Challenger , their families founded a nonprofit known as the Challenger Center for Space Science Education. Utilizing realistic and interactive mission scenarios, Challenger Learning Centers aim to give students an educational experience that incorporates the importance of math and science. The simulated space missions offered at the Discovery Museum’s Challenger Learning Center combine the joy of learning with the unbridled enthusiasm of space travel. Whether students want to “Voyage to Mars” or “Rendezvous with Comet Halley,” the missions allow them to experience the excitement of discovery that the astronauts aboard the Challenger surely would have felt.

Since 1997, the Discovery Museum’s Challenger Learning Center has been the premier field trip destination in Sacramento and has proved to be a vital resource tool for teachers. Increasingly, the Challenger Learning Center’s space missions have become a favorite of local businesses; as the center offers a unique team-building opportunity and allows employees to enhance their communication skills.

In July, the Smithsonian Institution, our Nation’s premier museum and research organization, named the Discovery Museum as a Smithsonian Affiliate. Under the leadership of the Discovery Museum’s Executive Director Evangeline Higginbotham, this designation will allow their Science and Space Center , as well as the Gold Rush History Center , to share in the Smithsonian’s unmatched wealth of resources and artifacts. It was a distinct honor, as the Discovery Museum was the first museum in California’s Central Valley to be named as an Affiliate.

Madam Speaker, as the Sacramento community and the Discovery Museum’s supporters gather tomorrow, I am honored to recognize the 10 years of educational insight provided by the Challenger Learning Center. Their work has inspired countless Sacramento residents over the last decade to embrace the wonders of science. As the Challenger Learning Center embarks on 10 more successful years, I ask all my colleagues to join me in wishing them continued successes.