STEM center opens at Boys and Girls Club

A center where children can explore technology alongside experts in the field opened this week in South County through a partnership between the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and defense contractor Raytheon.

The STEM Center of Innovation began Monday at the Boys and Girls Clubs of South County Chula Vista Clubhouse. With an array of high-tech tools — such as 3D printers and high-definition video conferencing — and a staff of full-time mentors to help club members apply the principles of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), the center aims to foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills needed for college, career or serving the country.

The Chula Vista Clubhouse serves the military families of Naval Outlying Landing Field Imperial Beach. Raytheon, which specializes in defense manufacturing and cyber security, funded six centers in military-connected communities last year in the United States and Germany.

Chula Vista is the fifth center to open under the $5 million program. The others are in Aberdeen, Md., to serve families attached to the Aberdeen Proving Ground; Kileen, Texas, for the families of Fort Hood; Huntsville, Ala., for Redstone Arsenal military families; and the Ramstein Air Base Youth Programs in Ramstein, Germany. The last center at the Andrews Air Force Base Youth Center in Maryland is scheduled to open next month.

Raytheon Chairman and CEO Tom Kennedy said the company focused on establishing the innovation centers in these locations because of the challenges the children of military families face, including moving frequently and being separated for long periods from a parent who has been deployed. He said he hopes the centers will “inspire the innovations of our future.”