The Tech Interactive (formerly The Tech Museum of Innovation, commonly known as The Tech) is a science and technology center that offers hands-on activities, labs, design challenges and other STEAM education resources. It is located in downtown San Jose, California, adjacent to the Plaza de César Chávez.
Description
The building has a distinctive mango and azure color, and has three floors. On the lower level there is a complex multi-story sculpture titled Origin, inside a cylindrical tower. The artwork portrays relationships among art, technology, and natural resources of the earth. Near the entrance to the building, there is Science on a Roll, a popular rolling ball sculpture by George Rhoads. The front wall is inscribed with quotations from iconic Silicon Valley entrepreneurs Bill Hewlett, David Packard, Bob Noyce, and Gordon Moore. The building was designed by Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta.
The IMAX Dome Theater, opened in 1998 and upgraded since then, shows mainstream movies as well as educational films. It is Northern California's only domed IMAX theater and has the first dome laser projector in the world, seating up to 280 people.
The Tech is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
History
Planning began in 1978 by members of the Junior League of Palo Alto, with later assistance by the San Jose Junior League. The City of San Jose promised funding for a Technology Center of Silicon Valley in the 1980s, but progress was slow.
The first temporary exhibit opened in 1990; The Garage, named in homage to the HP Garage, was housed in San Jose's former convention center. On October 31, 1998, a brand-new facility was inaugurated, named The Tech Museum of Innovation. In May 2019, the organization was renamed as The Tech Interactive and announced a partnership with Discovery Education.
In 2018, an expansion of Tech Interactive by was proposed, as part of a major high-rise office development in Park Habitat.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, The Tech Interactive temporarily closed for in-person visits in March, 2020, and published online STEM resources through "The Tech Interactive at Home", in English, and "The Tech Interactive en Casa", in Spanish.
Programs
The Tech for Global Good
The Tech for Global Good is a program aimed at inspiring young people to become problem-solvers who make the world a better place. It evolved from The Tech Awards, a yearly ceremony known as the Oscars of Silicon Valley in which individuals and organizations were recognized for their technological contributions to improving the human condition. In 2016, The Tech announced it was expanding The Tech Awards program from a once-a-year event to a year-round program with educational materials and exhibits. Since then, Tech for Global Good has focused every year on a different theme, such as health care or data. It honors organizations under that theme as its laureates for the year, focusing on their problem-solving abilities in lesson plans, videos and other materials for students.
The Tech Challenge
The Tech Challenge is a design challenge competition for students Grades 4–12. Since its inception in 1988, more than 25,000 students have participated in the program, in which teams of students use the engineering design process to solve a real-world problem. In past years, participants have been asked to design and build a hovercraft; a structure to withstand an earthquake; and a device to deliver water, among other challenges. One of the program's key goals is to engage students underrepresented in STEM fields.
The Tech Academies
The Tech Academies program, launched in 2014, provides in-depth professional development for educators to help them integrate high-quality STEM curriculum in their classrooms in Silicon Valley. The two-year Tech Academies Fellowship program, through The Tech and San José State University’s College of Science, trains educators in STEM instruction, with a focus on engineering and computer science. In 2020, the Tech Academies program received the EdCom award for Innovation in Museum Education from the American Alliance of Museums, and in 2019 it won the Excellence in Museum Education award from the California Association of Museums and the office of the state superintendent of education.
School programs
The Tech offers in-person and virtual field trips to school groups from September to June each year.
The Tech offers field trip scholarships to underserved schools.