Rainbow Middle School Seventh-Graders Launch NASA-Affiliated Space Agriculture Research at Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama
Rainbow City, AL (09/25/2026) — Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama has launched a new partnership with Rainbow Middle School's seventh-grade science class through Growing Beyond Earth (GBE), a NASA-funded research program developed by Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in partnership with NASA. The center partners with Jacksonville State University through the Jax State STEAM Institute, which connects the university's educational resources and expertise with the Challenger Learning Center's hands-on STEM programming.
Beginning this week, 40 Rainbow Middle School students from Mr. Ben Simmons's science class will conduct authentic plant-growth experiments using two tabletop growth chambers installed at Challenger, with results submitted directly to NASA scientists at Kennedy Space Center.
Growing Beyond Earth is not a classroom simulation. Modeled after the Veggie plant-growth system aboard the International Space Station, the program has engaged more than 80,000 students in over 450 schools worldwide since 2015, testing more than 275 edible plant varieties for potential use on long-duration space missions. Forty of those varieties have been selected for further spaceflight testing, and five have been grown aboard the ISS. A harvesting protocol first developed by GBE students is now part of the standard procedure for harvesting vegetables in orbit.
At Challenger, a rotating core team of Rainbow Middle School 7th grade students will walk over from campus each week to check on the chambers, take measurements, and submit data, with brief check-ins of about 20 minutes per chamber. The full seventh grade was invited to take part in a kickoff event and required program training which included students from Austria, Slovakia, and Taiwan, marking the official start of the school's two-semester research partnership. During the first semester, students will follow a NASA-developed research protocol; during the second semester, they will design and conduct their own original experiments and submit a research proposal, mirroring the process used by professional scientists.
The timing carries added significance: in 2026, NASA announced plans for a Moon Base near the lunar South Pole under the Artemis program, the first step toward a sustained human presence on the Moon. Because a permanent lunar presence will depend on growing fresh food locally, the research Rainbow Middle School students conduct today contributes directly to the science that may one day help feed astronauts on the Moon and, eventually, Mars.
"This partnership puts Rainbow Middle School students at the center of real, ongoing NASA research, not a simulation of it," said Dr. Farrah Hayes, Executive Director of Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama. "Growing Beyond Earth is exactly the kind of hands-on, authentic STEM experience Challenger exists to provide. Our students are collecting data that NASA scientists use to help plan for future missions to the Moon and Mars, and that is an extraordinary opportunity to offer seventh-graders right here in Rainbow City."
"What makes this program so powerful is that students aren't just learning about the scientific method, they're living it," said Chad Strawn, Education Coordinator at Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama. "From forming a hypothesis to collecting data to eventually designing their own experiment, students are doing the same work as professional researchers, and they know their results matter beyond our walls. Research on this program has shown real, measurable gains in how students see themselves as scientists, and we expect our Rainbow Middle School students to have that same experience."
"We are thrilled to give our seventh-graders the chance to be part of active NASA research," said Allison Lee, Principal of Rainbow Middle School. "Our partnership with Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama already means so much to our students and Growing Beyond Earth takes that even further. Our students will walk away from this having done real science that supports NASA's mission, and that is an experience that will stay with them long after seventh grade."
There is no cost to Rainbow Middle School or its students to participate. Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama is covering the cost of the growth chambers and supplies, and Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and NASA are providing equipment, curriculum materials, and ongoing teacher and student training, including direct access to NASA scientists throughout the year. Students will also can participate in monthly "Chat with the Scientists" sessions and to present their original research findings at the annual GBE Student Research Symposium.
Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama plans to expand the Growing Beyond Earth partnership to additional classrooms and schools across its service area in future school years.
About Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama
Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama provides hands-on space and STEM education to students and teachers across Northeast Alabama, including simulated space mission experiences, in-school outreach, summer STEM camps and educator professional development. The center partners with Jacksonville State University through the Jax State STEAM Institute to expand access to STEAM education and connect students and educators with university resources and expertise. Located at 1986 Challenger Way in Rainbow City, Alabama, Challenger serves as a regional hub for building the next generation's pathway into space, science and technology careers. Learn more at challengeral.org.
About Growing Beyond Earth
Growing Beyond Earth is a NASA-funded science program developed by Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in partnership with NASA, engaging middle and high school students in authentic research to identify edible crops suitable for long-duration space missions. Since 2015, more than 80,000 students in over 450 schools worldwide have participated in the program. Learn more at www.fairchildgarden.org/gbe. Work supported by NASA under Award No. 80NCCS22M0125. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by program participants are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Media Contact
Dr. Farrah Hayes
Executive Director
Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama
1986 Challenger Way, Rainbow City, Alabama 35906
Media Attachments
Jacksonville State University
Dr. Farrah Hayes, 2256-490-6756, fhayes@challengeral.orgShare this Story
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