Lockheed Martin Space Education Center Launches at Space Foundation Discovery Center

On May 12, the Lockheed Martin Space Education Center (LMSEC) was officially dedicated at the Space Foundation. Thanks to a $400,000 grant from Lockheed Martin, the Space Foundation will continue to provide inspiration for hundreds of thousands of students and educators.

The dedication ceremony was filled with heartfelt speeches from: Elliot Pulham, Space Foundation Chief Executive Officer; Kathryn Tobey, Vice President and General Manager, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company; Robert Smith, Vice President, C4ISR, Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Solutions; and Becki Royall, Assistant Principal, Mountainside Elementary School and Space Foundation Teacher Liaison.

Tobey quoted Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author of The Little Prince, “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood…and don’t assign them tasks and work…but rather…teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” The message – inspiration. The fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are, and will continue to be in high demand, and it is our mission to help inspire and propel the future generations in this direction.

Tobey said, “That inspiration is exactly what this industry needs. More than ever, the world runs on space. Our ecomony, our national secuirity and even our agriculture and healthcare technologies are fueled by capabilities and innovations from space.”

The program was wrapped up by Space Foundation Teacher Liaison Becki Royall (pictured), who spoke about the monumental impact of the Teacher Liaison program on her career and the importance of teachers asking questions and being students themselves. See an article by Becki Royall in this issue of Space Watch here.

As a celebration to the work being done at the Space Foundation, Lockheed Martin presented the team with an American flag that was flown aboard Orion’s EFT-1 Mission in December 2014.

The LMSEC will directly impact more than 8,000 students and teachers annually, many of them from schools serving large concentrations of low-income and at-risk children. The long-term impact will grow exponentially from the ripple effect of hundreds of teachers becoming better trained and uniquely motivated to inspire current and future students. Hundreds of thousands of students will be reached and inspired to join the next generation of STEM leaders.

Lockheed Martin began operations in Colorado Springs, Colorado, 50 years ago, creating a foundation for a long-standing commitment to the Colorado Springs community. With a focus on strengthening the quality of life and enhancing the city’s economic growth, Lockheed Martin and its employees have contributed to supporting military families and programs that educate and inspire tomorrow’s scientists, engineers and mathematicians.

Learn about Space Foundation education programs here and about its Discovery Center here. View more photos from the dedication here.

 

This article is part of Space Watch: June 2015 (Volume: 14, Issue: 6).