NASA is rocketing into Oakland.
So, get ready for “The NASA Experience,” a spacey cool visitor center that is set to open at the Chabot Space and Science Center in November.
The center will offers visitors an immersive, educational environment focused on “STEAM” — which stands for science, technology, engineering, art and math. It’s the result of a newly launched partnership — outlined in what’s officially being dubbed as a five-year “Space Act Agreement” — between the NASA’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View and the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland.
“We’ve long collaborated with Chabot for community engagement activities and are delighted to take this next and more formal step to bring a deeper NASA experience into our surrounding communities,” says Eugene Tu, director of Ames. “It’s one of NASA’s founding functions to share our work as widely as possible, and partnering with Chabot will allow us to reach more broadly than we’d ever be able to do with our existing resources and location in the South Bay.”
The formal Space Act Agreement identifies a number of areas for “immediate collaboration that leverage the strengths of NASA’s research and Chabot’s long-standing programs,” according to a news release.
One of those areas is the STEAM learning environment, where visitors will reportedly get to play the part of NASA researchers as they explore hands-on, interactive studios and opportunities at the center. This section highlights both the thrills and challenges of scientific discovery as it showcases real people and real stories from NASA’s Ames Research Center.
“We are so excited to share the fascinating science, extraordinary people and groundbreaking research of NASA’s Ames Research Center right here in Oakland,” says Adam Tobin, executive director at Chabot Space & Science Center, “Bringing together NASA Ames’ long legacy of innovation and Chabot’s 137-year history in STEM education creates a powerful opportunity to inspire the next generation of future scientists, engineers and astronomers.”
The two organizations will also be working together outside of the new visitor center, creating STEAM education experiences throughout Oakland that coincide with Chabot’s ongoing “Learning Everywhere” initiative that already connects with the city’s schools, libraries and other local organizations.
The partnership also has an eye on the future, looking at ways to help the next generation of scientists, mathematicians and others in search of STEAM-related career opportunities. As such, the two organizations will be working to create “tangible STEAM career pathways by developing explicit connections between NASA’s career opportunities and Chabot’s youth development programs,” according to a news release.
