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Back to School - Homeschool Programs!
If you are a parent, homeschool teacher, or have a child who wants extra science learning...Don't worry! Challenger Learning Center of Alaska has options for you too! We have programs for local Kenai Peninsula residents and virtual programs for ALL Alaskans near and far. CLCA continues to develop programs that help parents meet the needs of their students in an ever-changing world. Our hands-on approach strengthens knowledge in STEM subjects and inspires students to pursue careers in these important fields. Curriculum also aligns with state standards. We are a direct payment vendor for most homeschool affiliations and you can apply our program hours to your students' semester credits. Programs are offered throughout the year, with changing subjects. Make sure to check with your homeschool representative if you are interested in putting together your own group for Challenger programming or check our website to see available open enrollment programs you and sign up for.
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CLCA's STEAM Ahead program is created exclusively for home learners as an in-center program. Students learn facts and methods of thinking that can be applied to solve real-world problems. STEM creates critical thinking, bridges the gender gap in leadership roles, increases science literacy, and enables the next generations of innovators.
Our Fall semester will start on October 5th, one day a week for six sessions. Each session will build onto the curriculum that will reveal more intricate science concepts as students learn.
"From the Big to the Little: How Are We Connected?"
Age Groups: 1st - 2nd Grade (Register) & 3rd - 5th Grade (Register)
Dates: 6 weeks, Wednesdays
Oct 5, Oct 12, Oct 19, Oct 26, Nov 2, Nov 9
Time: 10am - 12:30pm
We have a new online booking system to create a smoother process for our customers. You can create a profile that will easily store your family's information for faster booking next time! This system also allows us to check your child in and out virtually, with access to your approved pickup contacts, additional forms, and medical information. We are a direct pay vendor for most homeschools. If you choose this method, it is important you fill out your homeschool's VDP form and get it to your representative right away for approval. If you have questions please give us a call or email our admin at cooper.kelley@akchallenger.org
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Near or Far
Virtual is still a great option to experience Challenger!
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CLCA has enriching virtual programs that still incorporate our hands-on practices and interactive learning. Ask about our Virtual STEM Workshops or Virtual Missions. Any school/group program can be scheduled for homeschoolers too by putting together your own group of homeschoolers or with the help of your homeschool representative.
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We have a few new faces at the Challenger center who are very excited to get started this year!
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Becky Absher, Director of Educational Operations
rebecca.absher@akchallenger.org
Becky has a unique background, with 27 years of experience teaching sixth through twelfth grade in Virginia. For nineteen of those years, Becky was the sole science teacher at Mount Rogers Combined School, located at the highest point in the Mountains of Virginia! Astronomy is her favorite subject to teach because she gets to share the wonders of some of the grandest and most beautiful phenomena in the Universe. Becky moved to Alaska in July of 2019, where she has been able to enjoy some of her favorite hobbies, hiking and canoeing with her family, and taking pictures of wildlife and flowers on her adventures. When Becky has downtime, her family can attest that her secret talent is knitting hats with a loom. Everyone in her family has a hat she made specifically for each of them! Becky is excited to be a part of a team of educators that carry on the legacy of Challenger’s mission, teaching, and inspiring students of all ages. She is especially looking forward to learning how to lead mission simulations. Becky says, “This is my dream job, teaching informal science activities to students who are as enthusiastic about learning science as I am about teaching it.”
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Kathy Whittington, Science Specialist
Kathy joined our center as a Flight Director in the Summer of 2022 with a diverse and interesting background. She started her career as an electrical engineer at Hughes Aircraft Co in CA and then switched over to become a pilot. For several years Kathy flew medevac missions all over Alaska in high-performance (fast!) airplanes. As early as Kathy can remember, she’s wanted to live in Alaska as a result of a childhood memory. Growing up, her Grandparents always shared their story of driving up the Alaska Highway in 1970, inspiring Kathy to finally make the move herself in 1996.
From 2007 to 2011, Kathy returned to electrical engineering at NASA/JPL. Interesting as well, Kathy had the opportunity to write Flight Manuals and checklists for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) pilots for a company that builds the Military’s Predator, Gray Eagle, and Avenger Drones. Personally, Kathy loves dogs and spends her time training service dogs for others.
Challenger itself has also been an inspiration to Kathy within America’s history of space flight and space exploration. Kathy explains, “The Space Shuttle was a brilliant, historic program. I was a teenager when the Challenger blew up. I was already a physicist & a fan of Richard Feynman. At the time, they credited Feynman with discovering what happened. Later I learned that management and engineers at Thiokol were very familiar with low-temperature issues with the rubber O-ring seals. As a pilot, I'm very surprised that they decided to launch when it was so cold, but I also understand everyone's desire to stay on schedule, especially with the Shuttle Program. The Challenger legacy is very important to me. I love learning about the 7 people we lost that day. They were all fantastic astronauts including our teacher in space, Christa McCullough.”
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Cooper Kelley, Administrative Assistant
cooper.kelley@akchallenger.org
Cooper was born and raised in Cambridge, MA. He recently graduated from Middlebury College with a degree in sociology, after which he immediately jumped into the car with his girlfriend and drove all the way from Boston to Kenai. While in college, he worked in the theater department scene shop, where he fell in love with woodworking and carpentry. Now in his free time, he enjoys making small tables and boxes to give to friends and family. He joined the CLCA team in June of 2022, and has really enjoyed helping with all the programming that goes on here!
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Upcoming Community Events!
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Celebrate and explore with Challenger, the wonders of NASA's James Webb Telescope, and the remarkable new images recently released. On September 9th come immerse yourself and your family with amazing visualizations and scientific activities. At 3 pm we will have a live broadcast with NASA’s panel of Webb scientists examining Webb’s first images and unfolding the Universe! How do telescopes work? How are they made? How do they capture light? What kind of light can they see? These questions and more will be explored and how they relate to the impressive James Webb Telescope.
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Join Challenger Learning Center as we learn from local experts in wild harvesting for food sustainability. This workshop will be the second of its series, introducing and exploring what is wild harvest, how rules are decided and applied to certain harvests and areas, fishing methods, hunting prep, firearms safety, foraging plants, and Alaskan Native harvesting traditions and stories. Participants will learn insider resources, tips, and information to get them on their way to harvesting Alaska’s resources themselves.
If you have been harvesting for years or want to start but need some guidance to sort through all the possibilities, this is a great workshop for you! Sept 28th get your fishing, hunting, and plant harvest refresher, extra tips, or learn something new!
Registration is free for the 9 am – 3:30 pm Workshop and lunch will be provided.
Register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/wildharvestworkshop
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