The atrium inside The Tech Interactive, showing all three levels
The Tech Interactive (formerlyThe Tech Museum of Innovation, commonly known asThe Tech)[1][2] is a science and technology center that offers hands-on activities, labs, design challenges and otherSTEAM education resources. It is located in downtownSan Jose, California, adjacent to thePlaza de César Chávez.
IMAX Dome Theater showing "Mesmerica" in fall 2019
The building has a distinctivemango andazure color, and has three floors. On the lower level there is a complex multi-story sculpture titledOrigin, inside a 45-foot-tall (14 m) cylindrical tower. The artwork portrays relationships among art, technology, and natural resources of the earth.[3] Near the entrance to the building, there isScience on a Roll, a popularrolling ball sculpture byGeorge Rhoads.[4] The front wall is inscribed with quotations from iconicSilicon Valley entrepreneursBill Hewlett,David Packard,Bob Noyce, andGordon Moore.[5] The building was designed by Mexican architectRicardo Legorreta.[6]
TheIMAX Dome Theater,[7] opened in 1998 and upgraded since then,[4] 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.[8]
Planning began in 1978 by members of theJunior League of Palo Alto, with later assistance by the San Jose Junior League.[4] The City of San Jose promised funding for aTechnology Center of Silicon Valley in the 1980s, but progress was slow.[4]
The first 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m2) temporary exhibit opened in 1990;The Garage, named in homage to theHP Garage,[1][2] was housed in San Jose's former convention center. On October 31, 1998, a brand-new 132,000-square-foot (12,300 m2) facility was inaugurated, namedThe Tech Museum of Innovation.[4][10] In May 2019, the organization was renamed asThe Tech Interactive and announced a partnership withDiscovery Education.[1][2]
In 2018, an expansion of Tech Interactive by 63,000 square feet (5,900 m2) was proposed, as part of a major high-rise office development in Park Habitat.[11][12][needs update]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic, The Tech Interactive temporarily closed for in-person visits in March, 2020, and published onlineSTEM resources through "The Tech Interactive at Home", in English, and "The Tech Interactive en Casa", in Spanish.[13][14]
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[15] in which individuals and organizations were recognized for their technological contributions to improving the human condition. In 2016, The Tech announced[16] it was expanding The Tech Awards program[17] from a once-a-year event to a year-round program with educational materials and exhibits.[18] 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,[19] focusing on their problem-solving abilities in lesson plans, videos and other materials[20] for students.
The Tech Challenge is a design challenge competition for students Grades 4–12.[21] 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.[22]
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 andSan 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 theAmerican Alliance of Museums,[23] and in 2019 it won the Excellence in Museum Education award from the California Association of Museums[24] and the office of the state superintendent of education.
Social Robots: Using sensors, controllers, and actuators, this exhibit allows visitors to design and build robots.[25]
Body Motion: Sensors in this exhibit allow visitors to see how their movement and interactions affect their physical, social, and emotional health.
Space Exploration: This exhibit showcases innovations in space, including a maneuverable Jet Pack chair.
Solve for Earth: This exhibit opened in 2021 and teaches guests about living sustainably and how their actions impact the environment, highlighting the work of scientists and emerging technologies to battle the climate crisis.[13]
Cyber Detectives: Presented by Palo Alto Networks, this interactive exhibit opened on June 3, 2015 and teaches visitors cyber security through “training modules” and a cybersecurity mission.[26]
The Tech Studio: An open-to-the-public workshop space where visitors participate in maker-style activities.[27]
The Tech for Global Good: Opened in 2017, this exhibit features stories of innovators who have used technology to create solutions to pressing global problems, such as vaccine delivery, homelessness, and wildlife poaching. It is a part of the Tech for Global Good program.[31]
Reboot Reality: Opened on May 26, 2017, visitors to this space can experience various types of immersive media.[32][33]
Innovations in Healthcare: Presented byEl Camino Hospital, this exhibit opened in 2016 and showcases the innovation process as seen in advances in health care technology.[34]
1998 –Grand Opening, five galleries: Innovation: Silicon Valley and Beyond, Life Tech: The Human Machine, Exploration: New Frontiers, Communications: Global Connections, and Center of the Edge (for shorter-term exhibits)[36]
2002 –Imagination Playground exhibits: You Cannot Catch Me, Fuzzy Spot, PlayPath Dots, Bend The Rule, Glow Stones (Nami Orbs), Spy Houses, Maracas, Light Beads, Elusive Dots, Bug Puppet
2004 –Genetics: Technology with a Twist exhibits: A letter to policymaker, GeneKid Phone, Counselor Phone, Incubator, Gene Array Simulator, Wet Lab Counters[37]
2004 –Silicon Workshop exhibits: Hardwired Chip, Potato Head exhibit
2005 –NetPlanet (a.k.a.Internet 2004) exhibits: Crazy Connection, Internet Globe exhibit, Whack A Spam, Arm Wrestling, TrendPlay
2005 –Calpine (repurposed later into Green by Design) exhibit: Calpine bike-generator
2006 –Green by Design exhibits: SuperCap Cars exhibit, Energy Tower, Regenerative Braking, Sage Glass, Smart Window, Solar Collector, Solar Hybrid Lighting
2008 –The Tech Virtual Test Zone(Art Film and Music) exhibits: WikiSonic, Avatar Mirror, Connecting Point, Mashup Easel, MIDI VJ, Musical Chair, Tilty Table
2009 –Tech Awards Gallery (a.k.a.UcanTu) exhibits: Life-Line Radio, Bare Foot College, Tree of Hope, Adaptive Lens, Cell Bazaar, H2O Canopy, MorSand Filter[39]
2010 –Silicon Valley Innovation Gallery Phase I exhibits: Transistors, Speed of Processor, Intel Microchip, and sponsored exhibits fromNvidia,Google, andAdobe[40]
2011 –The Tech Test Zone exhibits: Digital Foam, PIXEL, Sound Circles, GigaPixel Viewer, Mmmtsss[41]
2012 –Silicon Valley Innovation Gallery Phase II exhibits: ReFace, Social Circles, Reactable
2014 –REBOOT: Music exhibit: Tim Thompson'sSpace Palette[42][43]
In the past, The Tech rented outParkside Hall from the City of San José to hosttraveling exhibits. In 2007, this hall was the home to the exhibit known asBody Worlds 2, which brought in more than 280,000 guests. In winter of 2008, there was a specialLeonardo da Vinci exhibit (calledLeonardo: 500 Years into the Future) that displayed some of his inventions, discoveries, and artwork; it ended January 25, 2009, after a three-week extension.[46][47] The Tech also hostedStar Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination from October 19, 2013, to March 23, 2014.[48][49][50]
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Convention Center
