Challenger Center modernizes STEM education infrastructure with AWS to reach hundreds of thousands students nationwide

Challenger Center, a leading STEM education nonprofit, develops space-themed, simulation-based programs delivered at one of its over 30 Challenger Learning Centers around the country. The two-hour experience immerses students in space environments where they take on roles such as communications officer, biologist, navigator, and engineer—strengthening STEM knowledge while developing crucial life skills like teamwork and problem solving. The goal of these programs is to foster generations of innovative students who believe in unlimited possibilities for themselves, their careers, and our shared future.

With the support of the AWS Imagine Grant program, which provides both financial and technical support, Challenger Center is revolutionizing its nationwide STEM education delivery by transitioning its proprietary software, SIM3+, to Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud infrastructure. Previously, the organization’s network of more than 30 centers relied on local servers requiring manual updates, resulting in inconsistent software versions, time-intensive troubleshooting, and limited ability to deliver up-to-date experiences to students.

Students experiencing a Challenger Center Mission Simulation

Building a modern, scalable platform with AWS services

The manual update process was particularly problematic for Challenger Center, an organization focused on delivering cutting-edge STEM education. When software versions varied across centers, students at different locations received inconsistent experiences, undermining the organization’s commitment to equitable access to high-quality STEM learning. The time spent on maintenance and troubleshooting diverted valuable resources away from innovation and program development.

With support from the AWS Imagine Grant, Challenger Center is implementing a comprehensive suite of AWS services to create a secure, scalable platform. The solution includes Amazon Elastic Container Service (Amazon ECS) Fargate for automated application scaling, Amazon RDS PostgreSQL for resilient database management, Application Load Balancer and AWS WAF for secure access, Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) for content storage, and Amazon Elastic Container Registry (Amazon ECR) for streamlined container management. This modern infrastructure enables automatic updates across all centers simultaneously, eliminating version inconsistencies and reducing the burden on local IT staff.

Transforming efficiency and expanding educational impact

Currently in the rollout phase, each center’s SIM3+ system is being configured to connect with the new AWS environment, enabling seamless communication and automatic updates. The efficiency improvements are dramatic: Update times will drop from 2-4 hours per server to just minutes, representing a 75-80 percent improvement in efficiency. By year-end, the Challenger Center team aims to have at least half of their center network running on the new AWS infrastructure.

The benefits extend far beyond operational efficiency. The standardized software across all sites provides more accurate data on student impact, helping the organization measure and improve outcomes on a national scale. This data-driven approach allows the Challenger Center team to continuously refine their programs and demonstrate their effectiveness to funders and stakeholders. Students receive consistent, high-quality experiences regardless of which center they visit.

The enhanced security provided by AWS also protects sensitive organizational data, giving parents, schools, and partners confidence in Challenger Center’s commitment to privacy and data protection. Lower operational costs free up resources that can be reinvested in program development and expansion, ultimately reaching more students with even more impactful and transformative STEM experiences.

Students learning together during a Challenger Center Mission

Key insights for nonprofit technology transformation

Challenger Center’s modernization project reveals that successful technology transformation requires equal focus on change management and technical implementation. While adapting SIM3+ for AWS, the organization prioritized staff preparation and clear communication alongside development and testing, starting with a small pilot group of centers before expanding network-wide to minimize risk and validate the approach.

By emphasizing sustainability through AWS automation and scalability, the Challenger Center team transformed their time-intensive legacy system into an efficient platform that prioritizes innovation over maintenance. This shift has not only improved operational efficiency, but also fosters consistent STEM experiences for students nationwide while enhancing the organization’s ability to measure and refine programs across its network of centers.

How you can support Challenger Center

Behind the systems and services offered by AWS are coders, program engineers, and other STEM professionals who were once the kind of students Challenger Center serves daily. The Challenger Center team’s mission is to use immersive programs to spark students’ confidence in STEM and themselves. Using hands-on learning, they fuel students’ curiosity in new careers and help them see a future where they lead, create, and explore.

In 2026, Challenger Center will commemorate its 40^th anniversary. To learn more about how Challenger Center is helping foster the next generation of STEM leaders, visit the organization’s website.