Challenger Center & American Rocketry Challenge Announce New Partnership

Washington, D.C. — October 8, 2025 – Challenger Center, a leading education nonprofit dedicated to inspiring students through hands-on STEM experiences, and the Aerospace Industries Association’s (AIA) American Rocketry Challenge (ARC), the world’s largest student rocketry competition, today announced a new partnership designed to spark curiosity, build skills, and open doors for the next generation of innovators, engineers, and explorers. Through this partnership, select ARC student teams will gain access to Challenger Center’s Virtual Missions — interactive, team-based space simulations that immerse students in solving real-world aerospace challenges as scientists and engineers.

“We are thrilled to partner with the American Rocketry Challenge. We both have a deep belief in the power of hands-on learning to ignite students’ passion for STEM,” said Mike Kincaid, President and Executive Director of Challenger Center. “This partnership celebrates students’ achievements and gives them new opportunities to imagine themselves as future aerospace leaders.”

“This partnership between the American Rocketry Challenge and Challenger Center unites two nationally recognized STEM programs with a shared mission: to inspire the next generation through hands-on learning, teamwork, and real-world problem solving,” said Eric Fanning, AIA President and CEO. “Together, we’re strengthening the STEM pipeline and expanding opportunities for students across the country to build critical skills for the future.”

A Shared Commitment to the Future

This collaboration brings together two of the nation’s leading STEM education programs committed to engaging students in experiential learning that develops critical skills for the future workforce. Since its founding in 2002, the American Rocketry Challenge has engaged more than 100,000 middle and high school students in designing, building, testing, and launching model rockets. Challenger Center, founded in 1986 by the families of the Challenger STS-51L crew, has inspired over 6.5 million students through immersive STEM learning in the past 39 years.

Both organizations’ programs emphasize the need for hands-on learning and teamwork in STEM fields. Both ARC and Challenger Center challenge students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills, encouraging them to evaluate and adjust when mistakes are made, just as real engineers do. And neither a rocketry competition nor a simulated Mission to Mars can be completed alone: teamwork is necessary every step of the way.

This new partnership underscores the importance of collaboration in building a strong STEM pipeline and preparing students for the careers of tomorrow. By leveraging each other’s strengths and networks, Challenger Center and ARC are elevating their complementary missions, and engaging students, educators, and supporters nationwide.

About Challenger Center
As a leader in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, Challenger Center provides hundreds of thousands of students each year with experiential education programs that engage students in hands-on learning opportunities. These programs, delivered in Challenger Learning Centers and classrooms, strengthen knowledge in STEM subjects and inspire students to pursue careers in these critical fields. Challenger Center was created by the Challenger families to honor the crew of shuttle flight STS-51-L. For more information about Challenger Center, please visit www.challenger.org or connect on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About American Rocketry Challenge
Since 2002, the American Rocketry Challenge, the world’s largest student rocket competition, has engaged more than 100,000 middle and high school students in model rocketry. The annual challenge invites students to design, build, and fly rockets to exacting requirements and gain hands-on experience solving engineering problems. Sponsored by Aerospace Industries Association, the National Association of Rocketry, and more than 15 industry, government, and academia partners, the American Rocketry Challenge is the aerospace and defense industry’s flagship program designed to encourage students to pursue study and careers in STEM. The program has launched countless careers in aerospace and defense, and its alumni are helping to engineer the vehicles that will take us back to the moon, and, one day, on to Mars. https://rocketrychallenge.org/

Media Contacts

Challenger Center:

Julia Austin
Director, Communications
jaustin@challenger.org

American Rockery Challenge:

Ananda Miles
Senior Manager, Communications
Ananda.Miles@aia-aerospace.org

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