Scobee Education Center

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The Scobee Education Center at San Antonio College is dedicated to engaging our students and community in life-changing experiences that inspire the pathways to STEAM careers. The Center was established on the campus of San Antonio College in memory of the lives given by the seven crew members of the Space Shuttle Challenger/STS-51LL "Teacher in Space" mission. Our goal is to carry on the crew's educational mission, to spark youth interest and joy in science and engineering. The center is named after the Francis R. (Dick) Scobee family - Commander Scobee, his widow Dr. June Scobee Rodgers, and their children Kathie Scobee Fulgham and Maj. Gen. Richard W. Scobee.

Our Mission    

The mission of the Scobee Education Center is to engage our students and community in life-changing experiences that inspire the pathways to STEAM careers. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics).

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FAQs

What are the hours of operation?

Educational programs are only available Monday through Thursday to school and community groups through a reservation process. Public planetarium programs are provided on Friday evenings except on holidays, three weeks in August and the first 2 weeks of January when we are closed. 

How do I get there?

Scobee Education Center resides on the San Antonio College campus. The best way to get here is to enter the SAC campus through the western entrance at the traffic signal located at San Pedro Ave and W. Myrtle Street. The pseudo-address for this intersection is 1198 San Pedro Ave. There is a circular drive in front of the center that connects to campus parking garage #3 where free parking is available.

There is another entrance to garage #3 from W. Evergreen St. by turning on Maverick St. to enter the campus. Do not park in reserved spaces.  

There are limited handicap parking spaces on the circular drive.  If someone in your party needs to reduce the distance to our entrance, please, consider dropping off passengers by the HEB Landing Zone closest to the blue Cheever Star Tower and returning to garage #3 to park.

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How do I get tickets to the show?

We sell advance planetarium tickets online the week prior to each program. Advance tickets will be full-price. Online sales will end when the Lackey Camp Casper ticket booth opens for onsite sales. Discounted tickets can only be purchased as onsite sales at the Lackey Camp Casper ticket booth, if there are seats available.  9:30 & 10:30 Scalan Observatory tickets are only available on site due to the unpredicatbility of weather.

**Guests should check the online sales to ensure there are tickets available before heading to the center. 

Purchase tickets

Are food and drinks available?

The Scobee Education Center does not have a cafeteria or dining area. Typically, school groups eat their lunches outside on picnic tables and benches provided on the front terrace. During inclement weather, groups are permitted to eat in areas restricted to benches and open floor areas on the first floor. For Friday night shows, no gum, food, or drinks are permitted in the planetarium. You will be asked to place these items in the trash bin or leave them outside during the show.

Is the Challenger Learning Center open to "walk-ins"?

Simulated missions are not "walk-in" experiences and require more planning in advance of the mission. Public missions are typically scheduled in February (Valentine's Day) and April (Fiesta Family Micronaut Mission). Dates and ticket sales are announced and sold in advance of the mission date. Please check our Events at Scobeesubscribe to our Newsletter, or Like us on our social media: Facebook, and Instagram to stay updated on the details for these special days.

Are tours available?

The center is not staffed for regular tours of the facility. Tours may be made available to the public during special events, such as a Center Anniversary Event, and San Antonio College Community Events.  Very limited ticketing will be made available for these tours.

Private group tours are associated with facility rentals and are subject to staff availability.

Can I follow Scobee on social media?

Yes, please follow us on our social media:

Facebook: facebook.com/sacscobee

Instagram: @sacscobee

  • The Scobee Planetarium opened to the public on October 1st, 1961, in response to the country's call to expand Science and Math programs across the country. During the planetarium's more than six decades of service more than a million guests have virtually traveled across the universe. The Scobee Education Center expanded upon this community icon in October of 2014 to include the Challenger Learning Center, the rooftop Powell Star Deck and Scalan Observatory.  The Santikos Micronaut Center was opened just across the circular drive from the Cheever Star Tower in March of 2023 as a part of the community bond efforts.

    Most programming is reserved by school and community groups Monday through Thursday with the public programs only offered in the planetarium on Friday evenings.

    The Scobee Education Center was established in memory of the lives of the seven crew members of the STS-51LL Space Shuttle Challenger's "Teacher in Space" mission and named after shuttle commander Francis R. (Dick) Scobee and his family. Both Commander Scobee and his wife, Dr. June Scobee Rodgers, were students at San Antonio College.

    The Scobee Education Center aims to carry on the Space Shuttle Challenger crews educational mission - to spark interest and joy in science, technology, engineering and math. The Scobee Education Center is dedicated to enriching the lives of children and adults alike by fostering a love of science and astronomy through hands-on and minds-on experiential education.

  • Following the launch of Russia’s first satellite, Sputnik, President Dwight D. Eisenhower met with many politicians and businessmen across the country to encourage the development of science and technology education programs.  In a meeting with San Antonio Community College president of the board, W.W. McAllister, he suggested that a planetarium would positively influence the lives of the community in San Antonio. Under the direction of college president Dr. Wayland Moody and the first director of the planetarium Frank McConnell, in 1961 the new Chemistry and Geology building and the original 30-foot planetarium dome were constructed.

    During its first two years, the planetarium staff presented 986 lectures to 81,481 people. A stunning attendance that was thought to be the highest in the country for comparable planetarium facilities.

    In 1994, the SAC planetarium was refurbished and the white dome which pilots had nicknamed the golf ball was clad in a reflective aluminum plating and the observatory was added to house the first telescope to be used on campus. On July 9, 1994, the planetarium was rededicated as the Scobee Planetarium to honor former San Antonio College student and NASA astronaut, Francis R. (Dick) Scobee–– Commander of the Space Shuttle Challenger's final flight.

    Almost two decades after its first redesign, Alamo Colleges District planned for another expansion of the planetarium to include offices, restrooms, and lobby areas. While under construction, the Challenger Learning Center located at Brooks Air Force Station made the announcement of its closure. With a first-time capital campaign by the Alamo Colleges District, the community of partners took this opportunity to further modify the planetarium’s plans to include the next generation design of the Challenger Learning Center and the Cheever Star Tower which hosts the rooftop Scalan Observatory, thus creating the unique architectural venue that is now the Scobee Education Center.

  • While the Scobee Education center opened in October of 2014, the original Challenger Learning Center of San Antonio (CLC SA) was opened in September of 2000 after a three-year effort by a group of San Antonians who wished to promote this unique science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education experience in response to businesses identifying a lack of employee candidates with the STEM and 21st-century skills needed to expand their companies. The Brooks Aerospace Foundation was formed to raise capital funds to renovate a building at the Brooks Air Force Base, which became Brooks City-on Base. During its operation, the original Challenger Learning Center served more than 65,000 students and 5,600 teachers in over 2,300 missions. More than 900 teachers were provided with specialized in-service training.

    With the development of Brooks City-Base, the New Braunfels Avenue construction resulted in the loss of the Challenger facility during a period in 2008 when capital campaigns suffered. While the Brooks Aerospace Foundation was able to raise the funds to cover the cost of the simulator, the needs of the unique facility were not met and the foundation turned to San Antonio College and its president at that time, Dr. Robert Ziegler, to discuss expanding the planned construction to renovate the Scobee Planetarium to include the Challenger Learning Center. Dr. June Scobee-Rodgers, founder of the Challenger Centers nationally and a former SAC student, championed the effort and the first-ever public-private capital campaign through the Alamo Colleges District was initiated.

    The CLC SA on Brooks officially closed on May 31, 2010. Within a few weeks, the Brooks Development Authority (owners of the former Brooks AFB) demolished the facility.

    All the stars aligned in 2012 when ground was broken to bring the Challenger Learning Center from its former home at Brooks City Base to join celestial forces with the Scobee Planetarium at San Antonio College, which has brought accessible astronomy to San Antonio since 1961.

    On October 31, 2014, during the grand opening of the new facility, it was announced that the 5 million dollar capital campaign target had been met and the newest member of the Challenger Learning Center network would become the next generation of space simulators for the Challenger network.

    The Scobee Education Center inspires students of all ages to learn and use problem-solving skills, teamwork, communication, and applied math in hands-on and minds-on experiential education. The Scobee Education Center is a participating member of the Alamo STEM Ecosystem which contributes to the national STEM Ecosystem Initiative.

 

Contact Us

Richard Varner
Director Scobee Education Center rvarner4@alamo.edu (210) 486-0402

Sponsorship Opportunities

Event planning: Birthdays, conferences, special occasions

 

 

 

 

Mariana Zoll
Associate Director of Instruction
mzoll3@alamo.edu
(210) 486-0105

Challenger Learning Center and Santikos Micronaut Center programming.

 

Michelle Risse
Planetarium Coordinator
mrisse2@alamo.edu
(210) 486-0101

Scobee Planetarium and Scalan Observatory programming.

For group/ISDs scheduling and general program information:

sac-ScobeeCtr@alamo.edu
(210) 486-0100

 

Join our newsletter for more information:

sac-secnews@alamo.edu