The Castle Science and Technology Center at UC Merced

An entrepreneurial presence in the Merced, California, community for a quarter century, Greg Opinski guided a prominent commercial public works company and oversaw more than 350 high profile projects. Among the construction projects Greg Opinski and his team completed was The Castle Science and Technology Center (CSTC) at the University of California, Merced. 

A vital community asset, the CSTC is situated at the entrance of what was previously Castle Air Force Base and focuses primarily on education for grade four through six learners. It is within the scope of the Castle Challenger Learning Center Foundation, which guides the sole Challenger Learning Center region wide. 

CSTC encompasses unique spaces including a planetarium, simulated space flight, and a crime scene investigation scenario. Students taking part in CSTC programs start the experience with a 45-minute Scavenger Hunt that encourages young learners to explore and begin to interact with exhibits. 

Many of the exhibits bring focus to critical local topics, such as the Planet Polluto exhibit, sponsored by the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District. University of California Merced’s Energy Transfer Exhibit allows visitors to simply “pull a lever” and witness how energy transfers to wind, heat, motion, and light.