A $500,000 gift from the Timken Foundation will support the development of a new engineering \u201ccareer path\u201d for visitors and students on board the World War II-era Battleship Iowa in San Pedro, museum officials announced this week.<\/p>\n
The program will weave into the battleship\u2019s National Museum of the Surface Navy experience, which features immersive, interactive and show-controlled environments at the ship, docked at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro.<\/p>\n
The gift will advance STEM education and be aimed at \u201cthe next generation of maritime engineers,\u201d USS Iowa representatives said in a news release.<\/p>\n
The Engineering Career Track will enhance the learning experience for both tour guests and students participating in on-board programs. Through immersive, interactive and show-controlled environments, the track will connect visitors to the core engineering functions aboard the Battleship Iowa, and help them gain a clearer understanding of the concepts and systems that powered the Navy in the past \u2014 and how those same principles continue to be used today.<\/p>\n
The program is aimed at sparking interest in engineering careers among young visitors and supporters, while also supporting the museum ship\u2019s broader efforts to help develop the next generation of America\u2019s maritime workforce.<\/p>\n
The Timken Foundation\u2019s connection to the Battleship Iowa is rooted in the broader history of naval engineering and national defense. The Timken Company has long been a major supplier of bearings for the U.S. Navy, components that are critical to ship propulsion and performance.<\/p>\n
Today, Timken builds the majority of reduction gears used in modern naval shipbuilding, continuing a legacy of engineering innovation that supports the readiness of the nation\u2019s surface fleet. While the Timken Foundation operates separately from the Timken Company, it shares the same foundational roots and commitment to engineering, education and workforce development.<\/p>\n
Since 2019, the Timken Foundation has supported the Pacific Battleship Center with about $100,000 for various programs and initiatives prior to this gift.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Timken Foundation has consistently demonstrated support for education in the communities it serves,\u201d foundation President Robert Timken said in a written statement. \u201cThe engineering career track project developed at the Pacific Battleship Center is consistent with that commitment and also allows the foundation to honor those who served aboard the USS Iowa during the ship\u2019s commission.\u201d<\/p>\n
The total cost to design and build the Engineering Career Track is about $1.4 million. The Timken Foundation\u2019s $500,000 gift provides the critical lead funding needed to move the project forward. The Pacific Battleship Center, though, is still actively seeking additional partners to complete this initiative and deliver the full experience for students and visitors. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of the year.<\/p>\n
In January, the Los Angeles harbor commission also approved a coastal permit that will usher in long-awaited construction on a dockside development by the Battleship Iowa Museum<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Freedom of the Seas Park and Pavilion at Port of Los Angeles Berth 87 \u2013 next to the battleship, which is also the National Museum of the Surface Navy \u2013 will include a 17,161 square-foot visitor center and some 50,000 square feet of adjacent park space. That project is expected to cost $6.7 million (paid for by the battleship museum, which also received a grant from the California Natural Resources Agency) and is anticipated to break ground in the next of couple months. Completion is expected sometime in 2027.<\/p>\n