Challenger Center Awarded Amazon Web Services IMAGINE Grant for Nonprofits

Award Will Improve Software and Efficiency for Simulated Space Missions

Washington (January 7, 2025) – Challenger Center is proud to announce it has been selected as a winner of the 2024 Amazon Web Services (AWS) IMAGINE Grant, a public grant open to nonprofits using technology to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. The grant will support Challenger Center’s transition to cloud-based services for its interactive STEM programs. This move will improve operational efficiency, enhance cybersecurity, and expand analytics capabilities, all critical elements to support Challenger Center’s mission to inspire students nationwide to pursue STEM fields.

“We currently deliver updates to our Challenger Learning Centers manually, several times a year,” says Michael Cruz, senior director of software and product development at Challenger Center. “Modernizing our infrastructure using AWS services will allow us to orchestrate continuous automated updates, increasing our pace of delivery to every month or even quicker. This will allow all Centers to use the highest quality mission software possible, creating a more equitable student experience and allowing for more accurate impact data collection.”

Challenger Center was named a winner in the Momentum to Modernize category, recognizing foundational technology projects. Challenger Center will receive $50,000 in unrestricted funding, $5,000 in AWS Promotional Credits, and project implementation support. Proposals were judged on several factors, including the innovative and unique nature of the project, impact on mission-critical goals, and clearly defined outcomes and milestones.

“At AWS, we’re inspired by the nonprofit sector’s unwavering commitment to preserving the dignity and health of people and our planet,” said Allyson Fryhoff, managing director of nonprofit and nonprofit health at AWS. “Our IMAGINE Grant winners are pioneering groundbreaking, technology-driven approaches that will amplify their mission impact and build a more equitable and compassionate world. We are thrilled to work alongside these organizations, helping them leverage the transformative capabilities of the AWS Cloud to bring these projects to life.”

Over the next few months, Challenger Center will develop and test the new infrastructure, preparing to release it network-wide in the summer.

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 important 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 Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

About AWS IMAGINE Grant

Since the launch of the IMAGINE Grant program in 2018, AWS has awarded over $14M in unrestricted funds, AWS Promotional Credits, and expert technical guidance to over 130 nonprofit organizations in support of their technology-driven goals. Previous winners are currently using AWS services to tackle critical challenges such as eliminating barriers to food security, improving maternal health outcomes, helping millions access clean and safe drinking water globally, tackling rare disease research, and more.