Space Center Volunteering. Remembering the Past. Envisioning the Future

Hello Troops,

The best part of my job as Director of the 'Old' Space Center, was getting to work with thousands and thousands of wonderful volunteers and staff over the Space Center's twenty-two year history.  That volunteer corps was sadly disbanded when the Space Center closed for repairs and reorganization last summer.  

Over the past several months, many of those former volunteers kept in touch by email and through this blog, waiting anxiously for news on whether or not they would get to come back and continue their volunteering. 
"I had just finished my observations when the Space Center closed,"  one young volunteer wrote last week in an email.  "It wasn't fair.  Will I ever get to volunteer?" 
Up until this weekend, I didn't know how to answer that question; today I have an answer that will make all our former volunteers very happy campers indeed.  

Space Center volunteers WILL have the opportunity to volunteer through a new non-profit organization recently incorporated called The Space EdVentures Foundation (SEF).  

Volunteering with the Space EdVentures Foundation

Over the past few months, several long time supporters of the Space Center met to create the Space EdVentures Foundation (SEF).  This non-profit organization's mission is to enlighten minds, young and old, as to what awaits us in the stars and how to apply life's values in real-life situations.

The SEF has four primary objectives:

1. Educational Simulations:  SEF is seeking to return the Space Center experience to the community as a whole by renting the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center at Central School for after school, Saturday and Summer private parties, classes and day camps.  The SEF will support other organizations that use educational simulations in their STEAM curriculum (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math).  Two such SEF supported projects are the Discovery Space Center in Pleasant Grove and the Space Center in Logan.    
2. Volunteerism:  SEF will reestablish a vibrant volunteer program at educational institutions  which support the Foundation's goals and objects. 
3. Curriculum:  SEF will author curriculum to support our believe in Experiential Education.  The SEF STEAM curriculum will be made available to teachers to use in their classrooms to supplement their instruction through our believe in substantive, hands on, experiential learning ie. the Discipline of Wonder. 
4. The Programming Guild:  The SEF will continue the old Space Center's Programming Guild.  This will include free classes in computer programming offered either at the Space Center or the Discovery Space Center.      

SEF Volunteering     

Space EdVentures Foundation Volunteers will soon be able to volunteer at the following two organizations (with others to come):

• The Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center.    People may volunteer for the field trip program.  You must be able to come in between the hours of 10:00 A.M.  to 11:45 A.M. and / or  12:30 P.M. to 1:30 P.M.  on a weekday. Volunteers may choose to play roles in the simulation and/or work behind the scenes to produce the magic of the simulation in the Magellan, Phoenix and Galileo simulators.  Volunteers will also be given the opportunity to help in the classroom and Starlab Planetarium if they wish. 

• The Discovery Space Center.   SEF volunteers will be given the opportunity to volunteer at Pleasant Grove's new Discovery Space Center located at the Stonegate Center for the Arts.  Volunteers will be allowed to work in the simulators, learning both the performance and technical aspects of simulations.       

Current Space Center Volunteers need not apply to become SEF volunteers. Volunteer information will be sent to you by email within the next few days.  Anyone who is not a Space Center volunteer may apply to become an SEF volunteer by sending an email asking for volunteering information to spacecamputah@gmail.com.

Two Decades of Volunteering.  A Short Slideshow. 

I spent a few hours this weekend looking at pictures of the 'old' Space Center staff and volunteers - a  dangerous endeavor if you are easily afflicted by fits of nostalgia.  As I looked through the pictures, the thought came to mind that many of you readers ARE the old volunteers and staff I was seeing in the photos.

"They'd like to see these old pictures," I  thought to myself.
"So why not make an iPhoto slideshow of them and share them," I also thought to myself.
"Great Idea Victor.  You do that!" I continued to think to myself.  Offering praise to oneself for outstanding self generated ideas is a good way to keep all those little voices you hear in your head happy; don't you agree?  
I know what you're thinking.  "The old duck has finally cracked".  Perhaps we have, but that's our business, isn't it  :)

So, without laboring the point to death, may I present a small collection of old staff and volunteer pictures, accompanied by a piece of music that reminds me of my old days in the backwoods of South Dakota. 


    

The IKS Titan Prepares to Launch. Space News. The Imaginarium.

Hello Troops,
Dream Flight Adventures, our sister Space Center organization in Glenshaw, Pennsylvania, recently announced the launch date of their first simulator, the IKS Titan.   Congratulations to Gary Gardiner, Founder, President, Imagineer, Financier, and all around Good Guy!
  

Hear Ye, Hear Ye,
It is with great fanfare and jubilation that we announce the Grand Launch Event for the IKS Titan! Come see what all the fuss is about!  Come see how we’re revolutionizing education, energizing entertainment, and letting dreams take flight!

Wednesday, March 20, 2013
9:00-11:00am
Shaler Area Elementary School
700 Scott Avenue, Glenshaw, PA 15116

Come one, come all… but don’t forget to RSVP!

 

 The Shaler Area School Board visit the simulator recently.  The following is a report on their visit. 

It's never a dull moment in Dream Flight land!  Last night we had the pleasure of dazzling the Shaler Area School Board with a demonstration flight of the IKS Titan.  It was the first time most of them had seen the ship, so they didn't really know what to expect when they stepped into our airlock and were transported onboard.

With no zero-G training whatsoever the School Board took to the controls and navigated the ship through a quick tour of outer space, ocean depths, and even a quick miniaturized jaunt through the heart and lymph nodes.  A similar adventure is in store for everyone who attends our Grand Opening next month, so don't miss this chance to see the IKS Titan up close and personal.

The School Board learned about our standards-based curriculum, ongoing missions for Shaler students, and plans to open the center for field trips and private groups.  There are so many new adventures waiting to be had!

 Visit Dreamflight Adventures blog to read about their missions and curriculum.

Space News
By Mark Daymont

Comings and Goings on the ISS

Current crew of Expedition 34.

While Russia gets walloped by an asteroid, and Congress fights over budgetary woes (which of course will affect NASA as well), the ISS floats serenely over our Earth at a standard orbitally speed of about 17,500 mph. Currently, the ISS is crewed by Expedition 34, which includes Commander Kevin Ford, and Flight Engineers Oleg Novistkiy, Evgeny Tarelkin, Thomas Marshburn, Chris Hadfield, and Roman Romanenko. Wikipedia has a nice page of the crew assignments and links to their biographies here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expedition_34

Chris Hadfield working on some of the EVA suits.

The first part of the expedition began last November. Expedition 35 will begin in March when Canadian Chris Hadfield takes command of the ISS and the current team of Ford, Novitskiy, and Tarelkin depart the station. 

View from Progress 48 as it undocks from Russian Module.

There has been a change of robotic cargo spacecraft. Progress 48 undocked from the station on Saturday, Feb. 9 and was deorbited, burning up in the atmosphere. This left room for a new cargo spacecraft, designated Progress 50, to arrive on Monday the 11th. Its flight from Baikonur had only taken 6 hours, using the new "short" trajectory being adopted by Russia for quick transfers to the ISS. You can learn about its cargo and see a great picture of cosmonauts inside the ISS remotely docking the Progress 50 at SpaceRef.com: http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=43383

View from ISS of Progress 50 docking at the Pirs module.

Dragon in final preparations room at Cape Canaveral.

NASA has chosen March 1 as its next launch opening for the Dragon resupply spacecraft. SpaceX and NASA will launch from the Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, technically separate from the Kennedy Space Center just to its north. Currently the cargo craft has had its solar panels installed and final preparations are being made for rollout and launch.

Astronaut Tom Marshburn and HAM radio equipment. There was a communications glitch with the ISS main computer on Tuesday.

Inside the ISS, expedition crewmembers maintain equipment, perform science experiments, and go about their daily chores living in space. You can read about their daily routines and adventures at NASA's mission highlights page: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

  
The Imaginarium

Teaching us to make the ordinary, extraordinary.

Reading does this for us.

 Just in time for the end of term.

Titanic.  1912.  2013.

Umbrella Lane.

Creativity: A

A Mother's Day Gift best delivered with a hug and smile ;)

Wendy's and the Space Center have something in common.

Persian Sink.

 

Faith in Humanity Restored

A little bit of awesomeness to brighten any hallway.

My how times have changed.

Its Wednesday at the Space Center

A simple Random Act of Kindness changes you and the receiver.

Hello Troops,
I attended a very informative workshop last night called Kinesthetic Astronomy offered by the school district and Clark Planetarium.  I learned how to model the entire solar system using students as planets and moons.  I'm anxious to use the material. 

Remember to always be a life long learner.  No matter what your age, always look for opportunities to learn.  Take classes, enroll in workshops, join discussion groups, read, read and read.

Update:
1)  Working on those insurance quotes.  Once those are in place we begin
      talking to the District about renting the simulators so YOU can continue to
      be part of the Space Center experience.
2)  Our Foundation will be seeking funds to hire one of top programmers
      to create a new set of controls for PC's.  They will be programed in HTML5
3)  Our Foundation will continue to find ways to support the Space Center at
      Central School.  We are the unofficial Space Center Boosters Club!
      I'm glad you are a member too.

Mr. W.


The Imaginarium
 Always seek ways to make the ordinary, extraordinary. 
  

Random Acts of Kindness

It's raining at this science muesum

An interesting reflection.

A Highly polished surface

Keep a guard out.  We don't want to ruin our marvelous record.

People who change the world with one simple word.

The Sun's surface as it appears in a different wavelength.

One awesome cake

All of these things from 20 years ago now on one single pocket device.

A Pigs in the Puddle cake.

Life size pin art in London.

Imagination: A

As long as it works for him.

Ah, no more school days.

Kids these days!

Now I get it.