The Troubadour: Converting A School for Summer Space Camp. Learn About Two Companies that Trace Their Beginnings to the Space Center and This Week's Imaginarium Theater

Sunday, June 19, 2022

Converting A School for Summer Space Camp. Learn About Two Companies that Trace Their Beginnings to the Space Center and This Week's Imaginarium Theater

The Starship Voyager Control Room. Please Forgive Livy for eating during the photo. I

came with cupcakes and Livy couldn't resist.

Renaissance Academy, Lehi

Converting a School Building for summer space camps is something that happens yearly at The Space Place at Renaissance Academy in Lehi. With teachers and students gone for the summer, the school's halls, classrooms, and gym are perfect locations for those favorite "away mission" story elements. An "away mission" gives the campers a break from the starship bridge. The venture out into the darkened school hallways to explore, retrieve, or discover.

The Space Place's staff and volunteers await the campers in character be it as aliens, or human characters in the mission's storyline.

The Space Place volunteer staff for the June 8th space camp just about to

get dressed for their away mission characters

dark plastic curtains are hung to section off away mission areas and to prevent campers

from seeing the 'real world' through the school's doors

tables are handy obstructions to give the campers places to hide while they

maneuver through the set.

The school's hallways are decorated with special mood lighting and other set pieces to create atmosphere.

In one of this summer's missions, the campers are on a search to find a revolutionary formula to change the very nature of the warp field for faster than light speed. Brayden was tasked with creating the formula and detailing it on a classroom whiteboard for the campers to discover during an away mission.

The Space Place at Renaissance Academy offers summer space themed camps for students in grades 3 - 9. Visit the website to learn more and to sign up. The staff and volunteers are waiting to give you an out of this world experience you'll always remember.

SpaceCampUtah.org

Celestial Horizons and StormTeam Simulations; Two Company that Trace Their Beginnings to the Christa McAuliffe Space Center

Nathan taking the Odyssey Set Directorship and James and Christine Smith

Nathan Young is the Creative Director of Celestial Horizons and former Odyssey Set Director. He, along with retired Space Center greats Christine and James Smith, are a few of the original founders of the company. The following is a description of the company, its mission, and goals taken from the company's website:

At its heart, Celestial Horizons is a story—a story of humanity on the edge of space, trying to find its way back home to a past it thought it knew. It’s a story about the nations caught at the collision between a new world and the one they left behind. It’s a story about the people at the forefront of history, trying to shape the future into everything it should be.
Celestial Horizons is a community-driven event, responding to the actions of everybody who decides to get involved. Audience members will have the opportunity to step into this story in a variety of roles, such as members of the government, crews of the ships, or intelligence operatives. You will act as diplomats, explorers, and soldiers. Your actions become canon in our extended universe, permanently shaping the course of the story.
It’s a story that’s being told through a wide variety of formats. We’re making podcasts, blog posts, and videos. It’s told through emails, in chat rooms, and during live streams. We’re in the process of making it a weekly live-streamed web series, featuring a starship simulator, high-quality animation, and a cast of talented and engaging performers. Eventually, you and your friends will be able to step onto the bridge of your own ship at an official simulator facility. One day, you’ll be able to take that simulator home.

On May 24 Nathan released a video to answer the question, "Who is Celestial Horizons?" In that video, Nathan talks about his time at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center and the impact that time has had on his life. It is a tribute to the Space Center's vision and the role the Center's volunteering program has on the many who volunteer and staff the simulators. Please take a moment to watch this 3.5 minute video.

StormTeam Simulations an Upcoming New Organization in the Space EdVenturing Community

Hello Space EdVenturers!

Many of you older Space EdVenturers remember Jordan Foutin from his days at the Space Center I. Recently Jordan informed me of a new project he has undertaken, StormTeam Simulations which he expects to launch later this year.

Jordan working IIfx in the Voyager.

That's old Mr. Williamson working the microphone :)

Jordan’s space center career began in the early 2000s after he participated in field trip experiences in the original USS Voyager. Jordan demonstrated strong leadership qualities and storytelling skills and joined us as a high school intern as a Voyager supervisor. As is sometimes necessary, Jordan earned a rapid battle-field promotion to Flight Director for the field trip program. From there he took on private missions and overnight camps. He trained as a Phoenix flight director. Jordan proudly served as a regular flight director for several years. In February 2010, he took a temporary hiatus to pursue an undergraduate college degree in Oregon with course work tailored to support his space center career plans.

Jordan returned to Utah in 2013 and worked at the Discovery Space Center when it was located at Stonegate Center for the Arts in Pleasant Grove. He flight directed the UCS Columbia and was reaffirmed his skills as an outstanding storyteller and leader. Seeing an opportunity for a corporate communications training model, Jordan returned to university to pursue his MBA and develop his vision which has become StormTeam Simulations.

StormTeam Simulations’ primary for-profit focus will be corporate communication training. The company will similarly offer year-round private group entertainment events to the public. StormTeam Simulations' initial simulator fleet and launch date will be announced on StormTeam Simulations’ Official Facebook page, and on The Troubadour.

Jordan completed his undergraduate in communication and technology and completed his MBA in May 2022.