More than a dozen Massachusetts state senators visited the Framingham State Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Center as part of a legislative listening tour on March 3rd.

McAuliffe Center Director Dr. Irene Porro showed the group the center’s “Voyage to Mars” simulation room and gave them a demonstration of the state-of-the-art planetarium, which was installed in 2013. Around 10,000 middle school students visit the McAuliffe Center each year on class field trips.

“This is something where our kids are learning STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) in a really fun way,” said Senator Karen Spilka, a longtime supporter of the McAuliffe Center. “Who doesn’t enjoy a Planetarium?”

The state has been seeking to encourage more students to pursue careers in the STEM subjects, as these areas have excellent job potential in the Commonwealth.

“We know that the STEM subjects are vital to the economic future of the Commonwealth,” said FSU President Javier Cevallos. “The McAuliffe Center brings these subjects to life for students at a very young age.”

Framingham State has greatly expanded its STEM programs and offerings in recent years. Currently, about 26 percent of FSU students are enrolled in the University’s College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, in subjects such as Biology, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Food Science, Computer Science, Food and Nutrition, Mathematics, Natural Science, Nursing, Pre-Engineering, Physics and Earth Science. This fall, the University will open a new addition to Hemenway Hall that will provide students with access to 16 state-of-the-art laboratory spaces.