Summer campers attending Janet’s Planet Astronaut Academy Science Camp at Montgomery County Community College this year were among the very first crews to blast off on a mission to the moon at the soon-to-open Challenger Learning Center at Montco Pottstown.

Burgeoning astronauts became inaugural participants in Challenger’s “Lunar Quest” space mission. Students learned the jobs, tasks and responsibilities of real-world STEM specialists in the mission control simulator and on-board the spacecraft.

The first of its kind in Pennsylvania, this state-of-the-art space simulator and STEM learning environment at Pottstown Campus allows students to explore the far reaches of space, engage in hands-on learning and pursue careers in high-demand fields. The Challenger Learning Center is set to open to the public Saturday, Aug. 27, inside MCCC’s Sustainability and Innovation Hub building. Beyond Challenger Center Missions, the facility will host summer camp programs, elementary school programs, professional development, teacher training, corporate missions, and more.

Janet’s Planet campers at Pottstown Campus visited the new facility July 19, while campers from Blue Bell Campus attended July 26.

“We were really the beta testers of the Challenger Center prior to the big grand opening,” said Janet Ivey, creator and CEO of Janet's Planet. “I’ve seen those missions before and to see kids faces and to see how seriously they’re taking mission control, navigation and the geology of it all- it’s quite great.”

Each student is assigned a responsibility including communications, medical team, navigation, Rover design, among others, and work in teams to complete a lunar mission.

“Combined with all the great space stuff they’re learning,” said Ivey, “they’re also learning good human behavior and how to be the best crew mate in space and on Earth.”

For Kevin Orangers, Director of Educational Engagement & Innovation, bringing Janet’s Planet campers to the Challenger Center was a perfect match.

“Challenger provided our campers with an out of this world experience,” he said. “Yet real world understanding of what it takes to accomplish a space mission through collaboration, effective communication and teamwork.”

Campers attending the Pottstown session of Janet’s Planet benefited from a contribution from the First Presbyterian Church of Pottstown/Porter Broward Foundation. “I suggested the church, through the Porter Broward Foundation, offer camperships to the Janet’s Planet Camp this summer,” said Fred Remelius, of the First Presbyterian Church Foundation. “To plant a seed in the minds of the people of Pottstown that the Challenger Center and Janet’s Planet are worthwhile programs, and the Pottstown School District should get involved. The Challenger Center will be a boost to Pottstown.”

In addition, through the generosity of an anonymous Pottstown donor, 17 local Pottstown campers were also able to join in the fun. This gift helped double attendance for the Pottstown camp this year. 

Among the other exciting events that took place during Janet’s Planet included a visit from retired NASA Astronaut Dr. Donald A. Thomas at Blue Bell Campus. Thomas’ resume includes four space shuttle flights, where he worked as a mission specialist. Thomas talked about what it took for him to become an astronaut, what life is like in space, answered questions and signed autographs.

The camp also held a Star Party for Pottstown and Blue Bell campers featuring a guest lecture by MCCC Physics Assistant Professor Kelli Corrado. Campers and their families learned about the new James Webb Space Telescope and the recent images captured of the Carina Nebula and other infrared deep space images it has photographed. They also were given a tour of the observatory located in the Advanced Technology Center on Blue Bell Campus. 

Janet’s Planet campers lastly visited Heritage Field Airport in Pottstown to meet aviation experts from Chapter 1250 of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), conduct aviation-based activities such as navigation and aerodynamics, and explore some of the aircrafts there.

“Janet creates a really superior summer camp experience for students. One that differentiates various learning styles and abilities,” said Orangers. “Parents keep sending kids back to Janet’s Planet each year because she engages and facilitates the camp activities with students in an engaging and fully immersive learning environment.”

MCCC has collaborated with Ivey for numerous years to bring these educational, enriching summer camps to the community’s youth. Ivey, an award-winning science educator, is the creator and CEO of Janet’s Planet, a dynamic series that focuses on science, space, history and exploration. The series, which aired on 140+ public television stations nationwide, has won 12 Regional Emmys and five Gracie awards. She also serves as the president of Explore Mars, is an active NASA JPL Solar System Ambassador and serves on the Board of Governors for the National Space Society.

To learn more about the Challenger Learning Center, visit the Challenger Center landing page or email challenger@mc3.edu. For more information about Janet’s Planet, visit MCCC’s landing page.