ALLENTOWN, Pa. – April 15, 2026 – Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown was awarded $50,000 by NASA as part of a competitive grant program.

The science center is one of 12 institutions in this year’s Community Anchor TEAM II cohort (TEAMS Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions,) which engages formal and informal educators, students, and communities in NASA’s missions as the nation enters a golden age of innovation and space exploration.

The project, entitled “Artemis Pathways: Bridging NASA’s Vision with Allentown Youth and Families,” was funded through NASA’s Next Generation STEM project to create innovative resources and hands-on experiences designed to ignite curiosity in STEM and help students discover pathways into the aerospace industry.

Thanks to the funding, up to 120 students in Allentown and Parkland school districts will receive afterschool outreach programs focused on Artemis moon exploration.

Two middle schools will receive Space Exploration Science Celebrations, and hundreds of families from Parkland and Whitehall-Coplay school districts will receive free admission vouchers for the Artemis II Celebration on Saturday, April 18th from 1 – 4 p.m.

The celebration event, titled Mission Launch Party, will foster students’ love for space exploration and help them get inspired for the future. Families will have the opportunity to:

Watch highlights of the Artemis II mission on our giant screen in Curiosity Hall

Attend a talk and Q&A session with Terry Hart, former Space Shuttle Astronaut and current Lehigh University engineering professor

Talk with representatives from JULABO and Bosch Rexroth, two local Lehigh Valley companies doing NASA-related work

Meet students and professors from Lehigh University and Cedar Crest College who conduct space-related and/or NASA-funded research

Observe the Sun (weather permitting) and learn about telescopes and astronomy with Lehigh Valley Amateur Astronomical Society

See a demonstration of the vacuum distillation process that NASA uses to turn urine into potable water on the International Space Station

More information about the event can be found HERE.