About The Lewis Center for Educational Research
The Lewis Center for Educational Research, formerly the Apple Valley Science and Techology Center, was conceptualized by Rick Piercy, a former kindergarten teacher. Since opening in 1990, the center has hosted more than 100,000 students, teachers and parents participating in outreach programs, clubs and other educational activities. The Lewis Center continues to provide hands-on instructional programs to students and the community.
Among the Lewis Center's most significant programs is the Academy for Academic Excellence (AAE), a K-12 charter school in which new teaching techniques and strategies are tested and refined in a standards-based educational program.
Global Programs include the Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope (GAVRT) project with NASA, JPL/Caltech in which teachers nationwide access a 34-meter radio antenna via the Internet.
The Lewis Center is governed by the Board of Directors of the High Desert "Partnership in Academic Excellence" Foundation, Inc., a non-profit corporation.