The Tech Interactive facts for kids
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The Tech Interactive, viewed from nearby Plaza de César Chávez in Downtown San Jose
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| Former name | The Tech Museum of Innovation |
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| Established | October 31, 1998 |
| Location | 201 South Market Street San Jose, California, US |
| Type | Science |
| Visitors | 400,000 annually |
| Architect | Ricardo Legorreta |
| Public transit access |  Convention Center |
| Association of Science-Technology Centers | |
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The Tech Interactive, often called The Tech, is a cool science and technology center. It used to be known as The Tech Museum of Innovation. Here, you can enjoy hands-on activities, fun labs, and exciting design challenges. It's all about STEAM education, which means Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. You can find The Tech in downtown San Jose, California, right next to Plaza de César Chávez.
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What is The Tech Interactive?
The building itself is easy to spot with its bright mango and azure (blue) colors. It has three floors packed with things to explore.
Cool Features of the Building
On the first floor, there's a huge sculpture called Origin. It's 45 feet (about 14 meters) tall and shows how art, technology, and Earth's natural resources are connected. Near the entrance, you'll see Science on a Roll, a popular sculpture by George Rhoads where balls roll through a fun path. The front wall also has quotes from famous people who helped create Silicon Valley, like Bill Hewlett and David Packard. A Mexican architect named Ricardo Legorreta designed this unique building.
The IMAX Dome Theater
The Tech has an amazing IMAX Dome Theater. It opened in 1998 and has been updated since then. This theater shows both popular movies and educational films. It's the only domed IMAX theater in Northern California. It was also the first in the world to use a dome laser projector. Up to 280 people can watch movies here at once.
History of The Tech
The idea for The Tech started way back in 1978. Members of the Junior League of Palo Alto began planning it. Later, the San Jose Junior League also helped. In the 1980s, the City of San Jose promised money for a "Technology Center of Silicon Valley."
Opening and Growth
A temporary exhibit called The Garage opened in 1990. It was 20,000 square feet (about 1,858 square meters) and was named after the famous HP Garage. This first location was in San Jose's old convention center. On October 31, 1998, a brand-new, much larger building opened. It was 132,000 square feet (about 12,263 square meters) and was called The Tech Museum of Innovation. In May 2019, the museum changed its name to The Tech Interactive. It also started working with Discovery Education to offer more learning programs.
Recent Updates
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, The Tech Interactive temporarily closed its doors. But they still offered online STEM resources. These were called "The Tech Interactive at Home" in English and "The Tech Interactive en Casa" in Spanish.
Exciting Programs at The Tech
The Tech Interactive offers several programs to inspire young people in science and technology.
The Tech for Global Good
This program encourages young people to become problem-solvers. It helps them think about how to make the world a better place. It grew from The Tech Awards, which used to celebrate people and groups using technology to help others. Now, The Tech for Global Good focuses on a different theme each year, like health care or data. It highlights organizations that are solving big problems in these areas. Students can learn about these innovators through lesson plans and videos.
The Tech Challenge
The Tech Challenge is a fun competition for students in Grades 4–12. Since 1988, over 25,000 students have taken part. Teams of students use the engineering design process to solve real-world problems. In the past, students have designed hovercrafts, earthquake-proof structures, or devices to deliver water. A main goal of this program is to get more students interested in STEM, especially those who might not usually get involved.
The Tech Academies
The Tech Academies program started in 2014. It helps teachers in Silicon Valley learn how to teach high-quality STEM subjects. The two-year Tech Academies Fellowship program trains educators in STEM instruction. It focuses on engineering and computer science. This program has won awards for its great work in museum education.
School Programs
The Tech offers field trips for school groups. These can be in-person or virtual. They are available from September to June each year. The Tech also provides scholarships for field trips to schools that need financial help.
Explore the Exhibits
The Tech Interactive has many exciting exhibits on different floors.
Lower Level Exhibits
- Social Robots: Here, you can design and build robots using sensors and other parts.
- Body Motion: This exhibit uses sensors to show how your movements affect your health and feelings.
- Space Exploration: Discover cool innovations in space, including a special Jet Pack chair you can try.
- Solve for Earth: Opened in 2021, this exhibit teaches you about living in a way that helps the environment. It shows how scientists are using new technologies to fight climate change.
- Cyber Detectives: This interactive exhibit teaches you about cybersecurity. You go through "training modules" and a cybersecurity mission.
- The Tech Studio: This is a workshop space where you can join in "maker-style" activities.
Upper Level Exhibits
- Body Worlds Decoded: This permanent exhibit shows real human body parts that have been preserved. You can also use augmented reality and a virtual dissection table to learn about the human body.
- The Tech for Global Good: This exhibit tells stories of innovators who use technology to solve big global problems. These include delivering vaccines, helping people without homes, and protecting wildlife.
- Reboot Reality: In this area, you can experience different kinds of immersive media, like virtual reality.
- Innovations in Healthcare: This exhibit shows how new technologies are changing health care.
- Biodesign Studio: Explore the exciting fields of synthetic biology and bioengineering in this exhibit.
Past Exhibits
The Tech has hosted many interesting exhibits over the years:
- Grand Opening (1998): Featured five galleries about innovation, human technology, exploration, and global connections.
- Imagination Playground (2002): Had fun exhibits like "You Cannot Catch Me" and "Glow Stones."
- Genetics: Technology with a Twist (2004): Explored genetics with exhibits like "GeneKid Phone."
- Silicon Workshop (2004): Included exhibits like "Hardwired Chip."
- NetPlanet (2005): Focused on the internet with exhibits like "Crazy Connection."
- Green by Design (2006): Showcased eco-friendly technologies like "SuperCap Cars."
- Idea House (2007)
- The Tech Virtual Test Zone (2008): Explored art, film, and music with exhibits like "WikiSonic."
- Tech Awards Gallery (2009): Highlighted innovations like "Life-Line Radio."
- Silicon Valley Innovation Gallery (2010-2012): Featured exhibits on transistors, processors, and companies like Intel, Nvidia, Google, and Adobe.
- The Tech Test Zone (2011): Included interactive exhibits like "Digital Foam."
- REBOOT: Music (2014): Featured Tim Thompson's Space Palette.
- Body Metrics (2014)
The Tech also used to rent out Parkside Hall to host special traveling exhibits.
- In 2007, Body Worlds 2 was a very popular exhibit, bringing in over 280,000 visitors.
- In 2008, there was a special Leonardo da Vinci exhibit called Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future. It showed some of his inventions and artwork.
- The Tech also hosted Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination from October 2013 to March 2014.
See also
- Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose
- Exploratorium
- List of science centers
