The last remaining Challenger Learning Center in Indiana is in jeopardy of closing after Purdue University Northwest notified the center it wasn’t renewing its lease, Challenger Center officials said Tuesday.
The center is based at PNW in a 15,000-square-foot building constructed when it opened in 1999. Purdue Northwest spokesperson Kale Wilk said the university knew that Challenger planned to seek a new location to expand, so the university has been working to repurpose the building to serve student and academic needs.
“PNW also has supported the Challenger Center’s plans to evolve into a STEM education center; plans that began developing approximately eight years ago,” Wilk said in an email. “In 2024, PNW granted a two-year extension of the Challenger Center’s lease to Dec. 31, 2026, to help facilitate a smooth transition as the Challenger Center sought to relocate.”
Established to honor the memory of the crew of the 1986 Challenger fatal explosion, the learning center provides STEM programs for students ages 3 to 15. Fifth and sixth graders take journeys into space in two space simulators.
Crew member Christa McAuliffe, a New Hampshire social studies teacher, was selected after a national search to be the first teacher in space.
Cynthia Prieto, chairwoman of the non-profit center’s board of directors, said the center needs to raise $1 million to cover moving costs for its sensitive equipment.
The center is required to use technicians from the program’s headquarters in Washington, and Prieto anticipates the relocation could take about three months.
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She said she couldn’t identify the site yet, but the center has found a new location in Hammond that would allow it to expand from 15,000 to 60,000 square feet.
“We have the opportunity to create a STEM education center in Northwest Indiana and serve more kids and be open to the public,” she said.
“This is more than a move. It’s an opportunity to create more public programs, exhibits, and events. We can create a real attraction in Northwest Indiana, as well as keeping STEM exploration alive for the next generation,” said Prieto.
The center receives the bulk of its revenue from schools, she said. It draws students from 15 Indiana counties, and from schools in Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois.
It received $963,000 in federal funds in 2024 to upgrade and install newly designed Mission Control simulators and a $244,215 Lilly Endowment grant in 2023 to help strengthen its youth programming.
The larger space would allow it to open the center to the public and create another revenue stream, Prieto said.
There are 32 Challenger Learning Centers sites in the U.S. and the Northwest Indiana center is one of two with two space simulators.
“It makes us unique, and we can serve double the kids,” said Prieto, who first experienced the Challenger Center in 5th grade as a student
“It is a reality, if we can’t raise the money, the organization will have to close its doors. It’s just circumstances beyond our control. We have to raise $1 million to move… We’re optimistic with the community rallying behind us.”
She said the facility they hope to relocate to is ready to go. “Small things may have to be done, but it’s pretty much move-in ready,” she said.
If the timing is right, she said the center would try to make the move in the summer of 2026 and be ready to reopen by the fall, when school resumes.
“We’ve inspired nearly half a million students since opening our doors 26 years ago, and with the community’s help, we can ensure that legacy continues for decades to come.”
The Challenger Center has launched a capital campaign to fund the relocation and continuation of its programs.
Contributions can be made at clcnwi-capital-campaign.raiselysite.com/
“By uniting now, we can preserve a one-of-a-kind educational resource that ignites curiosity and builds confidence in our students,” said Lara Bates, executive director.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.