[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 154 (Friday, October 12, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2126]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN RECOGNITION OF THE DISCOVERY MUSEUM'S CHALLENGER LEARNING CENTER

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                          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.

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