Challenger Learning Center of the Twin Tier Region Named Arthur C. Clarke Innovation Award Winner

Washington, DC – September 23, 2025 – Challenger Center has recognized Challenger Learning Center of the Twin Tier Region in Allegany, NY with the 2026 national Arthur C. Clarke Award for Innovation in Education.

The Arthur C. Clarke Award is given to a Challenger Learning Center that has implemented a new and innovative program that impacts student learning, supports teachers, and promotes creativity. This year’s award recognizes Voyage to Proxima B, a program that focuses on early-childhood space exploration through realistic simulations. Young learners in PreK through 4th grade engage in a hands-on mission and perform collaborative fieldwork with fellow students.

“The Voyage to Proxima B program is a brand-new, innovative way to teach space science by taking elementary students out of the classroom and dropping them right into a real-world scientific mission,” said Reann Ehman, Director, Challenger Learning Center of the Twin Tier Region. “This program makes complex science simple and exciting for kids in grades PreK–4. The major innovation here is the powerful ‘learning by doing’ approach. Instead of just reading from a textbook, students put on helmets and gloves, board a simulated transporter room, and launch into space. By stepping into the shoes of real astronauts, young children can easily visualize themselves pursuing STEM and space careers in the future.”

The program immerses students in a realistic simulated mission to a distant planet, while teaching them about the solar system, exoplanets, and the fundamental elements required to sustain human life beyond Earth. Some of the mission objectives challenge students to examine Proxima B’s surface for signs of life, complete hands-on engineering tasks,  and determine whether human life could survive long-term on the exoplanet. The program operates under the Center’s S.P.A.C.E Academy.

“We are honored to present the Arthur C. Clark Award to Challenger Learning Center of the Twin Tiers Region,” said Mike Kincaid, CEO and President of Challenger Center. “The key to sparking interest in STEM among young learners starts with giving them access to fully immersive, experimental programs. These are the opportunities that will allow students to explore, ask questions, work alongside their peers, and discover what’s possible. Voyage to Proxima B is fueling curiosity and helping every student see themselves in STEM.”

The Arthur C. Clark Award is named in honor of the famed scientist and science fiction author. The award reflects Sir Arthur’s passion for space and his belief that imagination is essential to tackling the challenges of the future. The award is made possible through a generous donation by Dr. Joseph N. Pelton, an award-winning author, Founding President of the Society of Satellite Professionals International, and the Founder and former Executive Director of the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation.

Challenger Learning Center of the Twin Tiers Region is hosting a Family STEM Night event on Friday, October 16. The event is open to the public and will include engineering challenges, math, and science experiments. Grades K-4th grade students and their families are encouraged to attend. For more information and to register, visit www.challengertwintiers.org/upcoming-programs-1.

About Challenger Center

As a leader in STEM education, Challenger Center provides hundreds of thousands of students annually 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-51L. For more information about Challenger Center, please visit www.challenger.org or connect on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.