Exciting Developments Unveiled at the Voyager Club Meeting. The Voyager Academy Unites Voyager Clubs to Propel the Space EdVenture Centers into the 23rd Century. The First Day of Summer Space EdVenture Camps at Utah Valley's Space EdVenture Centers Imaginarium Theater

New Explorers were introduced during the meeting

Space enthusiasts of all ages gathered at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center on Saturday, July 1, for a memorable meeting of the Voyager Club. This dynamic club welcomed new members, introduced a revamped point and rank system, and unveiled unique membership advancement lanyard ID cards.

The faculty room was just big enough to hold the meeting

The meeting commenced with a warm welcome extended to the latest recruits who joined the Voyager Club. New members of the club are called Explorers. Explorers work their way through the club's point system until they reach the point level required to become Voyager Club Volunteers. With a shared passion for space exploration and discovery, these new members were eager to embark on their journey within the Voyager Club.

Vice President Mikey and Club President Aiden explaining the team building activity

One of the highlights of the meeting was the introduction of the club's revamped point and rank system. Members now have various avenues to earn rank points, providing them with opportunities to showcase their dedication and commitment to the club's mission. Volunteer work at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center allows members to contribute to the growth and development of the center while earning valuable points. Additionally, their academic achievements are also recognized through points awarded for school grades.

The Voyagers were divided into two teams for the activity

The Space Center's six starship simulators offer an immersive experience for Voyager Club members. Not only do they provide an opportunity to hone their skills, but passing off stations within these simulators also earns members rank points. This integration of practical learning and friendly competition ensures an engaging and rewarding experience for all participants.

The Voyager Club ID Rank Card Explained

The membership advancement lanyard ID cards unveiled at the meeting were another exciting addition. These personalized ID cards serve as a symbol of membership within the Voyager Club and offer a glimpse into a future yet to come. The ID cards feature a section where members can express their preference for a fictional starbase section they would join if they were living 300 years from now. This imaginative element encourages members to envision themselves as part of a future space-faring society, fostering a sense of unity and purpose within the club.

The first to received their Voyager Club Rank ID Cards were Canon, Jack, Cameron, Thomas, Mikey, and Brian Dean.

To kick off the meeting on a fun note, a lively game of Bingo was organized, giving members a chance to win prizes. After Bingo, Aiden welcomed everyone, introduced the new Explorers, and turned the time over to Mr. Williamson for the presentation of the point, advancement recognition system and ID cards. Mr. Williamson had a few minutes after the presentation to show several pictures of starship simulators passed and present for the members to identify. Micah Clegg took honors for having the sharpest memory of the Space Center's past.

The meeting concluded with a team-building game led by the enthusiastic Mikey and Aiden. Team building games contributes to the club's emphasis on teamwork.

The Voyager Club meeting held on Saturday, July 1, at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center showcased the club's commitment to inspiring and nurturing a space-faring civilization. With the introduction of the new point and rank system, membership advancement lanyard ID cards, and engaging activities, the Voyager Club continues to provide an exceptional platform for space enthusiasts to pursue their passion and contribute to a future where the stars are within reach.

The Voyager Academy Unites Voyager Clubs to Propel the Space EdVenture Centers into the 23rd Century

                                      The Unity Parent/Student Overview

Exciting developments are taking place as the Voyager Clubs at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center and Renaissance Academy's The Space Place join forces to propel Utah Valley's Space EdVenture Centers into the future through the Voyager Academy. This collaborative initiative aims to provide cutting-edge classes and workshops to Voyager Club members, enhancing their skills and knowledge in various disciplines related to the mission of the space centers.

Bracken Funk teaches the After Effects Class at Renaissance Academy's The Space Place. The class has 17 students ranging in age from 12 to adults.

The Voyager Academy offers a diverse range of classes and departments to its members. One such department is the Engineering Department which specializes in maintaining the equipment used in the starship simulations and creating new props to more fully immerse the centers' visitors.

The Writing Department nurtures members' creativity and communication skills. Participants have the opportunity to craft captivating narratives and scripts for simulated space missions. This department fosters effective storytelling and engages members in conveying the wonders of space to a broader audience.

Recognizing the importance of immersive experiences, the Voyager Academy includes an Acting Department. Through workshops and training, members can hone their acting abilities and bring the future of space exploration narratives to life. These classes create an interactive and engaging environment for club members.

The newest addition to the Voyager Academy is the Computer Media Department. This department focuses on leveraging technology to enhance visual simulations and create stunning space imagery. Two current classes, "Learning the Basics of After Effects" and "Beginning Blender for Mission Production," are already underway. Bracken Funk, director of The Space Place at Renaissance Academy, teaches the After Effects class, while Hayden Senske leads the Blender class at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center.

These courses introduce members to industry-standard software such as After Effects and Blender, enabling them to create computer-generated models. These models are then integrated into the Unity Game Engine, a powerful platform used for interactive simulations. By incorporating these visually striking models into the 3D tactical screen imagery for the space centers' simulated missions, the Voyager Academy aims to deliver an immersive and realistic experience to its members.

               Hayden teaches Blender at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center

To further expand its offerings, the Voyager Academy is launching a new class on Unity, scheduled to begin in August. A recent parent and student information session held at the Planetarium in the Christa McAuliffe Space Center provided an overview of the Unity class. Instructors Dave Stevens from Meta and Elan Wilkinson from Lockheed Martin detailed the course curriculum and expected outcomes. This collaboration with industry experts ensures that Voyager Club members receive top-notch instruction and stay at the forefront of technology.

The Voyager Clubs at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center and Renaissance Academy's The Space Place, along with their respective Voyager Academy departments, are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of space education. By integrating cutting-edge technology, engaging storytelling, and immersive experiences, these space centers are forging new paths in space exploration and inspiring the next generation of space enthusiasts.

The Utah Valley's Space EdVenture Centers are poised to revolutionize starship simulations, making them visually stunning and engaging, thanks to the courses offered by the Voyager Clubs through the Voyager Academy. Together, these visionary institutions are charting a course towards a future where space exploration knows no bounds.

The First Day of Summer Space EdVenture Camps at Utah Valley's Space EdVenture Centers

June 5th was the first day of summer space camps at The Christa McAuliffe Space Center and Renaissance Academy's The Space Place. I visited both space center's to visually record the events. Say hello to the very enthusiastic staff and volunteers who opened the summer camp season that day.

The staff and volunteers of the Starship Voyager at The Space Place in Lehi, Utah on the opening day of the summer space camp season. Bracken Funk (The Space Place Director) was the Flight Director

The staff and volunteers of the Starship Magellan at The Christa McAuliffe Space Center in Pleasant Grove, Utah on the opening day of the summer space camp season. Tyler Gotcher was the Flight Director

The staff and volunteers of the Starship Phoenix at The Christa McAuliffe Space Center in Pleasant Grove, Utah on the opening day of the summer space camp season. Silver Perry was the Flight Director

The staff and volunteers of the Starship Falcon at The Christa McAuliffe Space Center in Pleasant Grove, Utah on the opening day of the summer space camp season. James Porter (Space Center Director) was the Flight Director.

The staff and volunteers of the Starship Galileo at The Christa McAuliffe Space Center in Pleasant Grove, Utah on the opening day of the summer space camp season. Orion Bowers was the flight director

The staff and volunteers of the Starship Odyssey at The Christa McAuliffe Space Center in Pleasant Grove, Utah on the opening day of the summer space camp season. Nolan Welch was the flight director.

The staff and volunteers of the Starship Cassini at The Christa McAuliffe Space Center in Pleasant Grove, Utah on the opening day of the summer space camp season. Jon Parker was the Flight Director

Imaginarium Theater

The Week's Best Videos from Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience

Meet the New and Upcoming Talent at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center. The Cassini's New Fire Suppression Thorium Controls. The Imaginarium Theater

The cycle of life continues at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center. Old blood retires to move on to other opportunities and new blood walks through the glass doors seeking new opportunities.  I've been fortunate to see this revolving door of good folks in and good folks out for the last 31 years at both the CMSC and The Space Place at Renaissance Academy.  

The Troubadour Blog has done a good job documenting the cycle in and out by both celebrating the new arrivals and their promotions and seeing our retirees out with wishes of long life and prosperity. 

Today we celebrate advances made by a few of the CMSC's up and coming stars. 

Meet Wes Kinsey.  Wes is 16 years old and a student at Timp. High School.  He received his Magellan Flight Director wings on October 9.  While Connor Larsen acts as Magellan Set Director from his organ seat on the east coast, Wes and his friend Tyler Gotcher (read about Tyler's promotion to flight director) do the day to day flying.    

Meet Hannah.  Hannah is 17 and a student at Westlake High School.  Brylee Perry (Galileo Set Director) selected Hannah to began training as a Galileo Flight Director.  The Galileo currently has two flight directors; Brylee and Orion.  I found Hannah training with Orion Bowers last Saturday.  She directed a private mission with Orion beside her to ensure the crew had a great time. 

  

Meet Cecily.  Cecily is 16 years old and a student at UCAS in Orem.  Cecily was promoted to Blue Shirt status and hired as a Magellan Supervisor.  Her first day as a paid Magellan supervisor was yesterday.  Cecily started volunteering at the Space Center on December 17, 2017.  Tabitha Ricks, Odyssey Set Director, has her eyes on Cecily as well.  Cecily has been approved to start training as an Odyssey Flight Director.   

Meet Hayden.  Hayden is 17 year old and a Magellan Supervisor.  Jordan Smith recently nabbed Hayden to start training as a Phoenix Flight Director.  He will train under both Jordan and Mason Perry.  Hayden is also a gifted tactical card maker.  

The Cassini Has a New Fire Suppression Panel and A New Flight Director Trainee.

The Christa McAuliffe Space Center's talented teenagers are at it again in the Imagineering Lab.  Above you see Hyrum and Ellie, two of the Cassini's supervisors, giving me a demonstration of Hyrum's newest Thorium control panel - Fire Suppression.  The virtual panel is integrated into the ship's engineering station.   Hyrum did a fantastic job programming the panel.  It will add a whole new sense of purpose to the station. 

Hyrum is also training to become a new Cassini Flight Director.  He sure knows his stuff, I can testify to that. He sure saved my bacon when I flew a recent Cassini private mission.  I know my stories, but I can be all thumbs sometimes when it comes to the mechanics of running the Cassini's flight station. 

That is the magic of the Space Center.  The staff and volunteers see a need and go to work to make it so.  Great people  - and so say we all.   

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The Best Videos From Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience

The Magellan Gets a New Flight Director. Pictures and Stories from Many a Saturday at the Space Center

 

Congratulations to Tyler Gotcher (holding the clipboard), the Space Center's newest flight director.  Tyler did his first solo flight as a new Magellan flight director yesterday.  As a matter of fact, Sara Glad was on that mission.  Lissa joined the flight remotely in case Tyler needed someone to symbolically hold his hand if things went south.  Lissa was home due to strep throat.  You see, sick days are unheard of at the Space Center. 

Working with Tyler were Hayden and Nolan.  Nolan was on loan from the Cassini and Odyssey.     

Here's a picture of Tyler working toward his flight director pass on August 4 during one of the summer camps.  Lissa is sporting a blanket to keep the chill away.  Poor girl seems to be rather sickly lately :)

Congratulations Tyler and Welcome to the Flight Director Family. 

Photos of My Saturday Adventures at the Space Center

If it's Saturday, then I'm at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center helping Jon run the Cassini.  Actually Jon is helping me as I try to remember my training from the summer camps.  It's amazing how much you forget if you're not in the flight director's chair on a regular basis.  I've got my 5 hour pass for Greenpeace, now I'm working to learn my daytime field trip flights (Cry in the Dark, Perikoi, Intolerance, Midnight Rescue) as they're told in the Cassini.  There are some changes to the orthodox telling of the missions as I told them in the original Voyager back in the day, mainly in the number and organization of cards and the use of Thorium for each flight, but I'm getting there one Saturday at a time.  

Needless to say, wearing that Alpine School District badge and working once more in the mother Space Center of them all is fantastic.  My "retirement" is the best.  I work weekdays with 80 wonderful 6th graders at Renaissance Academy teaching math and history, then after school I work alongside Bracken Funk at the Renaissance Academy's space center "The Space Place" where we run a Young Astronaut and Voyager Club for nearly 160 students in grades 3 through 9.  To top it all off, I get to fly the school's beautiful Starship Voyager.  

Then on weekends I'm at the CMSC working alongside some of the finest people I know and feeling that spirit of adventure in the simulators and in the planetarium.  Disney hasn't got much on us except a huge bank account!

Every Saturday I find the staff and volunteers enjoying the campers and each other's company.  Often I snap a photo or two to share with you.  Here are a few.....

This is Nolan.  Nolan is happy.  A camper left $1.00 for him wrapped over his pet mouse.  

In Greenpeace, Nolan's pirate character has a pet mouse.  The mouse got away from him and was captured by a camper. The camper felt sorry for Nolan and returned the mouse to Nolan, who was at the time being held in the brig.  The mouse was wrapped in the dollar, clearly a gift from the camper hoping the pirate could use it to purchase better pirate clothes or perhaps enjoy an extra glass of rum when next in port.  

Jon Parker striking a Victor Williamson pose when delivering that "Children of Perikoi" monolog.  You know the one, "This is Perikoi....................." 

Andy Heaton, Bryce Redd, and Craig Wilson are members of the Retired Space Center Staff and Volunteers Community. They stopped by the new Space Center out of curiosity wondering how the new CMSC compared to the old CMSEC.  I happened to be at the Space Center at the time working in the Cassini and we met up again.  I showed them the ships. They were mightily impressed.  And as usual our conversation morphed into talk of the good old days.  I took them out to the parking lot and showed them the exact spot where the old Voyager's Captain's chair stood.  

  

Jon Parker, Master of Disaster on the Cassini, knew I'd be interested in a recent purchase of his.  Yes, those are the Space Center's new Slime Devil eggs.  Do you veterans of the old Voyager remember the original wooden slime devil eggs we use to plant around the ship? They were a blast, especially on the overnight camps.  You can thank Admiral Bill Schuler for the original concept of the Slime Devil and the eggs bit.  I was happy to bring the slime devil back to the Space Center this summer during my tellings of Greenpeace. Jon has gone the extra mile to get the eggs necessary to strike terror in the hearts of the young Cassinites.       

Orion Bowers is back flying the Galileo!  

This is Kayden, a devoted Phoenix simulator volunteer. Apparently he did something wrong during one of Jordan Smith's missions and experienced the Wrath of Jordan, something you wouldn't wish upon your worst enemy.  The damage to his clothing wasn't caused by the laying on of hands. It was caused by the verbal telling off Kayden received for missing an incoming call from the bridge communications officer.  The force of wind and the hurricane speed of spittal did the damage to the shirt.    

Actually, Kayden was getting ready to play a role in Saturday's Phoenix 5 hour mission.  Scott helped the realism by adding a bit of makeup to garner crew sympathy.  

Speaking of the Phoenix, I need to give a shout out to Mason Perry and his staff for getting the one and only Phoenix top mission score of the last summer camp.  Well done Mason and staff!  We knew the Phoenix could do it. 

Finally, how about that Magellan staff!  They must have a hidden camera in the staff break room because they are always the first to get to the goodies I bring on Saturdays - sometimes leaving nothing for the other ships.  Their motto: "The Best for the Best!"  

Imaginarium Theater

The Best Videos From Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience.  This One From 4 Years Ago!  Enjoy

News Update from the Christa McAuliffe Space Center. Imaginarium Theater.

News from the Christa McAuliffe Space Center

James Porter, Director

Galileo and Magellan Concept Art

     Thanks to some recent donations we are excited to share some concept art related to the new simulators being built. As we get closer to our goals we'll share more fun peeks into the new Space Center. We hit some goals so quickly we are working to catch up and share some ship models and other news so stay tuned.

Many personal donations have been matched by employers so ask your company if they offer donation/gift matching when you look to make your contribution.

https://spacecenter.alpineschools.org/donate/

Drawing credit: Orion Bowers & Dave Wall

Farewell To Four Members of our Space EdVenturing Family.  Life is Calling...... It is time to Return to the Good Earth

     As we transition into a new school year that often means that staff move on to new adventures with school, careers, or religious endeavors. This year we lose Erin, Connor, Lindsey, and Orion. Collectively between the four they have put in around 25 years as volunteers, supervisors, and flight directors. We wish them in all of their pursuits and look forward to when they visit us again.

The Tribute Video from Honor's Night.  August 2019.

Christa McAuliffe Space Center  / Central Elementary School Construction Update

     Thursday marked the first major wall of cement being poured in the Space Center section of the school. Today I remembered the photo as I work to organize this years field trips and see what we can do for the 23 schools on our wait list.

      Part of those are the schools that will get spring field trips in the new building as long as everything finishes on time. So far we are on course with no major setbacks thanks to Hogan & Associates Construction and all their hard work to get us there.

To learn more about the Christa McAuliffe Space Center:

SpaceCenter.alpineschools.org

facebook.com/asdspacecenter

Imaginarium Theater

The best videoettes from around the world edited for a gentler audience. 

Honor's Night at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center. Imaginarium Theater

Honor's Night at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center

August 8, 2019

     The Christa McAuliffe Space Center held its last summer Honor's Night in the current building last Thursday. Next year's summer's end Honor's Night will be in the new Space Center and Central School.  Unfortunately I was unable to attend so must rely on what little I can scour from the CMSC Facebook site.  

     This is Mason and JJ M.  If my memory is correct I'm guessing that JJ M won overall Lord of the Votes for the summer season.  The little trophy Mason holds was given to the person with the fewest votes, at least that is what we used it for back in the day.  Or it could mean that Mason took second place.

     Congratulations to the Magellan staff for taking top simulator for 2019 summer camp season with an impressive 95.1% overall satisfaction score.  What made this even more special was the fact that this was Conner Larsen's last summer at the CMSC.  Conner is leaving Utah for North Carolina and school.  Conner was blessed to have the staff he did. All of them are gifted in the art of imagineering and all hard workers.  

     And sadly, the Christa McAuliffe Space Center says farewell to three of their best.  Conner Larsen, Lindsey Hatch, and Orion Bowers.  All three are retiring from active space service. Conner to school in North Carolina, Lindsey and Orion will be leaving for LDS missions.  Their shoes will be tough to fill.  They've been with us since they were younglings and have grown strong with the Force. 

     And of course the best summer story, by just 1/2 a percent, was Live and Let Die!  The Magellan was beat out by the Galileo!  

     Again Conner comes through at the end to teach everyone that old dogs can learn new tricks.  Conner Larsen takes the "Best Flight Director" trophy for the summer!

     Mr. Porter was pleased to award Magellan Supervisor Blues to two young men.  Tyler is on the right.  I'll get the name of the other young man and post it.   
     

     And finally Jake Hadfield and Mason Perry were both inducted into the Journeyman Guild for serving over 5 years at the CMSC.   

Imaginarium Theater
The best videoettes from around the world edited for a gentler audience