The Tech Interactive announces Seismic Valley: The Earthquake Experience, coming summer 2027. Supporters can become part of the experience by dedicating a personalized book that may move and shake during earthquake simulations. San Jose, CA, Oct. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Coinciding with today's Great ShakeOut, The Tech Interactive, San Jose's science center, announced Seismic Valley: The Earthquake Experience, a new 4,100-square-foot permanent exhibit opening in summer 2027. The Tech invites the community to help bring the experience to life, with a unique opportunity for supporters to become part of the exhibit itself. Seismic Valley: The Earthquake Experience reimagines one of The Tech Interactive's most beloved exhibits, removed in 2020, as a bigger, more immersive, and more inclusive experience. At the heart of the exhibit will be the Seismic Valley Library, an immersive earthquake simulator that resembles a familiar library setting. Guests will watch shelves rattle and books shift as they experience simulated quakes, from small tremors to powerful magnitude 8 events. The Seismic Valley Library will also offer a unique opportunity for families, individuals, and small businesses to become a permanent part of The Tech's story. Through Stories of Impact, community members can dedicate a personalized prop book that will take its place on the library's shelves, celebrating a family name, honoring someone special, or commemorating a meaningful connection to science and discovery. Each book will become part of the immersive experience, creating a lasting tribute for future generations of visitors to discover. "For years, families have shared memories of our original earthquake simulator. Now, as we bring back this beloved experience, we're inviting our community to help bring it to life and become part of its story," said Katrina Stevens, president and CEO of The Tech Interactive. "Imagine returning to The Tech with your children or grandchildren and finding a book that honors your family or someone you love. Every family has a story worth celebrating, and this is a special way to connect generations while creating new memories for years to come." Beyond the earthquake simulator, the new gallery will give guests the opportunity to design and test structures on motorized shake tables, explore home safety, investigate real-time seismology data, and work together in an emergency operations simulation. "We wanted to capture what made the original Earthquake Simulator so memorable while creating an experience that welcomes even more people," said Prinda Wanakule, Ph.D., senior director of exhibits R&D at The Tech Interactive. "We held focus groups with the community to help shape an inclusive experience that combines the excitement of feeling the ground shake with hands-on opportunities to explore earthquake science and preparedness. Our goal is for everyone to leave feeling empowered, not scared." Stories of Impact giving opportunities range from Community Collection at $1,500 to The Masterpiece at $25,000. Each sponsored prop book includes a custom title and author dedication, with placement based on giving level. Every gift helps bring Seismic Valley to life and supports The Tech Interactive's mission to inspire the innovator in everyone through hands-on STEM education. Put your story at the epicenter of innovation. Reserve one of the limited propo books available now before Seismic Valley opens in summer 2027. Visit give.thetech.org/storiesofimpact to choose your giving opportunity and help bring the exhibit to life. Artist's rendering of the Seismic Valley Library, an immersive earthquake simulator featured in Seismic Valley: The Earthquake Experience, opening at The Tech Interactive in summer 2027. About The Tech Interactive The Tech Interactive is a family-friendly science and technology center in the heart of downtown San Jose. Our hands-on activities, experimental labs and design challenge experiences empower people to innovate with creativity, curiosity and compassion. The Tech is a world leader in the creation of immersive STEM education resources to develop the next generation of problem-solvers locally, nationally and globally. We believe that everyone is born an innovator who can change the world for the better. Press Inquiries Katie Barrow publicrelations [at] thetech.org https://www.thetech.org 201 S. Market St. San Jose, CA 95113 Recommended reading.

New nsf-backed project aims to help middle schoolers decide what to trust in the age of AI. University of Denver and The Tech Interactive to co-design tool to help students critically evaluate ai-generated information. Denver, CO and San Jose, CA, Sept. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - As artificial intelligence (AI) tools rapidly reshape how young people search, learn, create, and make sense of the world, a new U.S. National Science Foundation-backed project will help middle schoolers build a skill they increasingly need: the ability to determine what information to trust. Students explore how to identify signs of AI-generated images during National AI Day 2026 at The Tech Interactive... The University of Denver and The Tech Interactive have received a $50,000 planning award through the NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY program for "Co-Designing a Developmentally Grounded AI Literacy Tool for Grades 5-8," a project led by Dr. Pilyoung Kim, director of the Brain, Artificial Intelligence, and Child (BAIC) Center at the University of Denver, in collaboration with The Tech Interactive in San Jose. The team will co-design a tool to help students independently and critically evaluate AI-generated information. Additional team members include Lauren Sabour, educator at Denver Language School; Merrick Weaver, parent at Denver Language School; and Monchu Chen, technologist at Google. The award is part of NSF's first-ever FINDERS FOUNDRY investment, which provides nearly $2.5 million to 50 interdisciplinary teams working across K-12 formal and informal learning spaces. NSF describes the program as a way to strengthen collaboration among educators, caregivers, technologists, and researchers to design evidence-based innovations for a digital, AI-driven future. Together, the cross-sector team will bring research, classroom experience, family perspective, technology expertise, and informal learning design into one co-design process. The goal is to create a tool that reflects how students actually encounter AI-generated information at school, at home, and in daily life. "Young people are already encountering AI-generated information on a regular basis," said Katrina Stevens, president and CEO of The Tech Interactive. "The question is whether they will know how to question it, verify it, and understand the human choices behind it. This project is about helping students build agency, not fear, as they grow up in an AI-driven world." The award comes at a pivotal moment for AI literacy. Students in Grades 5-8 are old enough to explore digital tools and information independently, while still developing the critical reasoning skills they need to evaluate sources, identify bias, and understand when technology should or should not be trusted. "Middle school is a powerful moment for AI literacy," said Kim. "Students at this age are curious, thoughtful, and ready to wrestle with big questions about technology, fairness, creativity, and responsibility. By designing alongside educators, families, and students, our goal is to create a tool that supports both understanding and agency." The project builds on an existing collaboration between Kim and The Tech, where she served as a key advisor, developing AI literacy lessons for the organization's National AI Literacy Day activations. Those lessons use hands-on activities and critical questioning to help students understand how AI works, how Artificial Intelligence differs from human intelligence and emotion, and how human bias and decisions shape technology. As part of the planning phase, The Tech will host a working session in downtown San Jose to bring project partners and local teachers together and shape a proposal for a larger NSF development grant. The session is an important step in receiving teachers' input on the design and will focus on uncovering student needs, establishing learning goals, engaging teachers in co-design, and planning for future tool development. NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY supports interdisciplinary teams spanning K-12 formal and informal learning spaces as they develop education technology innovations rooted in real learning challenges. The first-ever cohort includes 50 teams from across the country. Planning awards support early-stage collaboration, stakeholder engagement, data collection, pilot testing, and early validation. Teams that receive planning awards are eligible to submit proposals for larger development awards. About The Tech Interactive The Tech Interactive is a hands-on science and innovation center in downtown San Jose that inspires the innovator in everyone. Through interactive exhibits, immersive experiences, educational programs, and community partnerships, The Tech helps people of all ages build confidence as creative problem-solvers and explore how science and technology can be used to make the world better. The Tech's AI literacy initiatives include hands-on exhibits, classroom lessons, educator resources, and public programs that help learners understand how AI works, ask better questions, evaluate AI-generated information, and consider the human choices behind emerging technologies. As part of San Jose's growing AI ecosystem, The Tech is working to make AI literacy accessible, inclusive, and useful for students, educators, caregivers, and the broader community. About the University of Denver Founded in 1864, the University of Denver is a private university that empowers students who want to make a difference. Recognized as one of the top research universities in the country, DU has more than 200 academic programs serving about 12,000 graduate and undergraduate students. DU students benefit from an experience that channels passion to serve the public good. Visit the University's Newsroom or follow the University on Facebook, LinkedIn and X. About The U.S. National Science Foundation The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that promotes the progress of science by investing in research to expand knowledge in science, engineering and education across all 50 states and territories. NSF supports nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions through competitive grants aimed at advancing science with broad impacts across the nation and its people. Learn more at nsf.gov. Students take part in a hands-on AI literacy activity at The Tech Interactive, learning how to question, evaluate, and spot AI-generated content. Press Inquiries Katie Barrow publicrelations [at] thetech.org https://www.thetech.org 201 S. Market St. San Jose, CA 95113