NASA Awards Missouri Discovery Center $250K STEM Hub

A Missouri science center just landed a partnership that could shape how thousands of students prepare for careers in space exploration.

NASA selected the Discovery Center of Springfield as Missouri's sole STEM Innovator, an honor that comes with $250,000 in funding. The center will develop classroom curriculum and create a new exhibit focused on NASA's Moon to Mars Program.

The partnership stretches beyond Missouri's borders. The Discovery Center will serve students across a four-state region including Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma.

Hunter Bartelt, Director of Operations at the Discovery Center, sees this as just the beginning. Once the regional curriculum proves successful, NASA will help take the program nationwide to all 50 states.

The curriculum aims to prepare students for an emerging space workforce while teaching them to solve future problems through science, technology, engineering, and math. As America ramps up its presence in space, these skills will become increasingly valuable.

The Ripple Effect

This investment reaches far beyond one science center. Missouri has long been a manufacturing and aerospace powerhouse, and this NASA partnership helps ensure the state stays competitive as space exploration expands.

Students in the four-state region will get early access to cutting-edge space education content. They'll learn about lunar missions, Mars exploration, and the real-world STEM skills needed to make these ambitious programs successful.

The Discovery Center's new Moon to Mars exhibit will make complex space concepts tangible for young learners. Hands-on experiences often spark the curiosity that turns into lifelong careers.

By investing in regional STEM education now, NASA is building the workforce it will need for decades of space exploration. Today's middle schoolers could become tomorrow's mission controllers, engineers, and astronauts.

The program represents a commitment to spreading space education beyond coastal hubs into America's heartland, ensuring opportunity reaches students wherever they live.