Learning Center Will Boost STEM At Pottstown's Community College

POTTSTOWN, PA — Montgomery County Community College campus at Pottstown will be home to a learning center that will offer simulated space-mission experiences for kids, and encourage STEM careers for students who are underserved and often don't consider those careers.

Montgomery County Community College and Challenger Center are teaming up to bring a Challenger Learning Center to the college's Pottstown campus. Challenger Center is a nonprofit science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education organization.

Challenger Learning Center at Montgomery County Community College will be the first Challenger Learning Center in Pennsylvania. The center will bolster the state’s ongoing STEM education initiatives by providing hands-on, experiential learning opportunities for thousands of students each year.

"We are delighted to announce this collaboration with Challenger Center to offer these valuable STEM educational resources," said Dr. Victoria L. Bastecki-Perez, MCCC President.

"As the communities' college, MCCC truly serves the educational needs of students at all ages and stages through innovative, meaningful learning experiences," said Bastecki-Perez.

The Challenger Learning Center will introduce students to STEM and also hopefully inspire them to pursue higher education, hopefully, in STEM fields, said Bastecki-Perez. She said this can direct them toward high-demand careers with family-sustainable wages.

"This workforce pipeline will help Montgomery County and the region during this time of economic recovery," she added.

One of the goals of Challenger Learning Center at Montgomery County Community College is to serve students in traditionally underserved populations and increase their interest in STEM.

Montgomery County is a hub of education, consisting of 22 public schools with a diverse student population. In its first year of operation, Challenger Learning Center at Montgomery County Community College hopes to serve about 7,000 students in grades five through eight, with at least 50 percent of students from underrepresented and underserved student populations, the center said in a news release.

Bastecki-Perez said the Missions are aligned with national education standards and informed by real science data. "These Missions excite students about STEM, introduce students to careers in these fields, and help students build critical 21st-century skills."

The new Challenger Learning Center joins a network of Challenger Learning Centers that have reached more than 5.5 million children around the world. Challenger Learning Centers provide hands-on STEM programs, especially simulated space-themed missions in a fully immersive Space Station and Mission Control.

Lance Bush, president and CEO, Challenger Center said, "We are thrilled to welcome Montgomery County Community College to the Challenger Center network and look forward to serving the students, teachers, and parents in the surrounding communities."

"For nearly 35 years, we've delivered experiential STEM programs that help students explore the endless possibilities in STEM. Together with Montgomery County Community College, we will continue this mission and create a passion for learning in Montgomery County students," said Bush.

Expected to open in Fall 2021 inside Montgomery County Community College's Sustainability and Innovation Hub building, Challenger Learning Center at Montgomery County Community College will be a hub of STEM-learning in the region.

Beyond Challenger Center Missions, the facility will host summer camp programs, elementary school programs, professional development, teacher training, corporate missions, and more.

For more information about Challenger Center, go to www.challenger.org.

For more than 56 years, Montgomery County Community College has met the evolving educational needs of Montgomery County. The College's comprehensive curriculum includes more than 100 associate degree and certificate programs, as well as customized workforce training and certifications.

As an Achieving the Dream Leader College of Distinction, the institution is positioned at the vanguard of national efforts to remove barriers to access, improve learning outcomes, and increase completion for all students. The College also is recognized regionally and nationally for its sustainability leadership, work with military veterans, community service and service-learning opportunities, and use of classroom technology.

For the fifth consecutive year, MCCC has been named one of the Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges in the nation by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development for its commitment to diversity through inclusive learning and work environments, student and staff recruitment and retention practices, and meaningful community service and engagement opportunities. For more information, visit https://www.mc3.edu.