SPACE EXPLORERS:
We are developing several field trip options for K-12 students that focus on space-related themes. Age-appropriate visits will include tours of the Bell Burnell Observatory and hands-on activities, both outside and in a state-of-the art facility that links to the telescope. STAY TUNED FOR MORE DETAILS!
Program history: In 2023, we reinvented our summer science camp program (A Celebration of Life) for middle school students to align with our exciting new role as the manager and developer of educational programs for the Bell Burnell Observatory. We will be able to include even more space-focused content with the assistance of new partners and expanded access to equipment and facilities for space exploration. This will include a series of activities related to (1) student questions and current research about space and the universe (2) NASA exploration (missions and research) (3) related STEM careers and training and (4) historic and contemporary STEM professionals of color.
A longtime partnership with the African American Ethnic Academy, A Celebration of Life XXVII: Planetary Explorers! was offered in 2022 as an in-person summer program for students entering grades 6-8. Hands-on activities, in outdoor, classroom and laboratory settings, were utilized to engage students’ interest in science and STEM careers. This included a series of activities related to (1) the planets in our solar system (2) NASA planetary exploration (missions and research) (3) related STEM careers and training and (4) historic and contemporary STEM professionals of color. Read about our field trip to the Bell Burnell Observatory!
Many thanks to the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium, a member institution of the national network of Space Grant Consortia funded by NASA’s National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, for Special Initiatives Program funding to support these efforts!