Training the World's First Multi Planet Space Faring Generation - the Space Academy's Young Astronauts. Jake Hadfield Returns from an LDS Mission, His Reactivation Clause is Enforced. See Matt Long's USS Glory, the Best Home Simulator Ever Build from the Early 2000's

The Space Academy's 6th Grade Phoenix Young Astronaut Squadron

     Collaboration, teamwork, leadership skills, academics, and FUN are all a part of the Space Academy's Young Astronaut and Voyager Club programs at Renaissance Academy.  The good old cup stacking activity is a great one for teaching the importance of effective communication to accomplish a seemingly simple task.  Mission: Stack six cups using only a rubber band with four attached strings.  Easier said than done. 

     The 6th grade Phoenix squadron, one of 19 squadrons at Renaissance, tacked the challenge last week. The team of David, Kaden, Marcus and Lincoln took top honors. To be fair it should be pointed out that one of the other team's strings broke part way. I explained that things like that happen in real life and told them to get on with it.  Isn't life like that? Just when you think life is going your way, just when you think all your ducks are in a row, POP! there goes one of your support stings and you're left lurching about. Getting up, dusting yourself off, and dealing with the problems at hand is how you succeed where others fail.

     

A mighty find looking stack of cups if you ask me

   
     Another way we teach our Young Astronauts and Voyagers the importance of leadership is by giving them opportunities to lead.  The Space Academy Leadership Training (SALT) program directed by Mr. Vidinha gives our students those opportunities.  In their first SALT training, our students take a survey to find out their own personal leadership style.  Mr. Vidinha, a former US Army Major, takes the squad outside for their first lessons in both giving and taking orders.

Beginning Leadership Training 101.  Leading a squadron in drills. Alex is giving it a go.

It's Kaden's turn.  We're looking for clear and exact orders. 

     Military cadence is another tool to make following orders fun.  Mr. Vidinha had the Phoenix squadron outside his classroom reciting cadence while marching.  Cadence is one way to get kids to think. You tell them it will be their turn soon and to think of their own rhythms.  

We are Phoenix, We're the Best,

We are better than the Rest.

While the others break and Run,

We're the ones who're having Fun.

Sound Off, One Two,

Sound Off, Thee Four.

The Phoenix Squadron and Cadence marching in the hallway

     SALT training is essential for successful missions in the Starship Voyager.  We teach these skills in the Academy's classrooms and expect to see the learning transfer into the Voyager simulator to be used in the Long Duration Missions.  This method of combining classroom and simulator training has proven to be the best educational use of starship simulators. The cadets get both the practical and on the job training out in the cosmos. This is experiential education at its best. This is why you have starship simulators in your school.

The 6th Grade Tiger Squadron on the Bridge of the Starship Voyager. Renaissance Space Academy.

     Renaissance Academy in Lehi is the only school in the world using the Young Astronauts and Voyager SALT training program. We are pioneering this form of experiential education. You're welcome to join us.  Renaissance Academy enrolls students year round (as long as there are openings in your grade level). It is a free public charter school (K-8) which sits across the Timp Highway from IM Flash.  Renaissance also specializes in languages. Student may choose between Chinese immersion, Spanish, or Arabic. Visit the school's website to learn more:  renacademy.org.  To learn more about Young Astronauts or the Voyager Club visit: YoungAstronautsClub.org or VoyagerClub.org.  To contact me email:

Director@SpaceCampUtah.org.

Mr. Williamson  

Meet the Young Astronauts

     Introducing the Space Academy's 3rd Grade  Young Astronaut Tiger Squadron.  Who knows, any one of them could end up living on Mars one day.  We dream big at the Space Academy.  
     Here they are on the Starship Voyager getting ready to embark on a dangerous mission to explore the arrival of an alien spacecraft and in addition, solve a perplexing mystery.

The 3rd Grade Lion Squadron

This is their interpretation of "Let's have a fun picture".

Jake Hadfield Returns from His LDS Mission Only to Have His Reactivation Clause Enforced

Jake once again wearing his Supervisor Blues on the Bridge of the Magellan

     

     Jake Hadfield was always one of those quiet guys that got the job done and done right.  Ever since he was a young volunteer getting him to speak was the challenge.  

     He is proof positive that quiet people can succeed at the many space centers.  Usually it's the loud ones who've fallen in love with their own voices who are attracted to this kind of work.  I should know, right?

Jake as a young volunteer before being promoted to dizzying heights.  

     Jake recently return from his mission only to find Mr. James Porter at his doorstep with a balloon in one hand and his original employment contract with the reactivation clause highlighted in yellow in the other. Jake accepted his fate and was back in the Magellan the next day, or the day after, or maybe a few days afterwards.  I should get all the facts before I write a post....   

     Jake is is very popular with the Space Center staff. You'll find his picture in every simulator.  How do you figure that? I'm the founder of the place and you'd be hard pressed to find a photo of me anywhere. What has Jake got that I haven't?  Don't answer that. I learned a long time ago NOT to ask questions when you don't really want to know the answer.  

     Jake, so happy to have you back with us in your Supervisor Blues.  Soon you'll be a flight director then you'll really have to talk. 

Mr. Williamson   

   

From the Historical Archives.  The LongTrek Space Center Opens with the USS Glory, the Newest Ship in the Fleet 

The USS Glory Bridge at Matt Long's LongTrek Space Center
2002-2005

From the Space Center's Historical Archives

February 4, 2003

Hello Troops,
I haven't have a chance to write about my visit to the USS Glory, one of our sister simulators. The Glory was built by Matt Long in his basement right off his family room. The control room takes up a part of his bedroom.

Matt had an Open House a few weeks ago. His house was a bit of a challenge to find, especially in the dark. The Open House started at 7:00 P.M. I arrived just after 7:00. I'm glad I arrived early because the place filled up very quickly. Matt was going from person to person answering questions and doing demonstrations. 

Matt has done a fantastic job building the Glory! It looks fantastic. He has some ideas I would like to implement for the Voyager and our other ships. 

The Glory can hold 5 or 6 people. It also has a little engineering section. Matt is one step ahead of us in visuals. He has introduced DVD's into operation instead of the VCR. His pauses are crystal clear and will not unpause at the worst time during the mission. 

I'm amazed at what he has done. A ship of his own and all his own props. He is currently putting together a better selection of costumes then we have! 

Good Job Matt! 

I've asked Matt to demo the Glory to any of our Pioneers, Voyagers, and Rangers that would like to take her for a test drive. I'm also willing to give class hours for the visit if Matt throws in a 30 minute presentation on the story of the Glory after the mission. The 
presentation will cover how it was built and how it is run. I know some of you have tried to build you own ships or may be in the first stages of designing one. Look for more information on this class opportunity in the next couple of days.

Thanks Troops,
Mr. Williamson


Imaginarium Theater
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Renaissance Academy's Sixth Grade Classes and Young Astronauts Visit Clark Planetarium. WOW is All I Can Say. Imaginarium Theater.

Even our three future engineers of American, known for their ability to get to the guts of any device in a matter of seconds, were thwarted by the durability and quality of the new exhibits.  I could walk away and not worry one bit.

Clark Planetarium's Cool New Exhibits

     Our sixth grade from Renaissance Academy visited Clark Planetarium last Friday.  I was concerned.  Don't get me wrong, we have a great group of younglings; 93 in fact.  They can be good and they can be rambunctious depending on the barometric pressure and moon phase.  I worried if the Imax movie and planetarium exhibits would be enough to keep them engaged. That concern was a waste of of emotion.  The new exhibits were fantastic! 

   

     We arrived, we unloaded. we descended into the lobby and had the official greeting from the planetarium's staff.  So far so good.  I had my stern teacher face on when she let go of the leash and let them scatter.  In a matter of seconds RA students were dispersed on all three floors.  

     

     My concern was quickly put to rest when I saw our students engaged with natural curiosity.  They were moving from exhibit to exhibit taking time to read, try out, and learn.  I shouldn't have worried, after all, half the students are members of the school's Space Academy Young Astronauts Club.  Space is something they're familiar with. They came already curious about the infinite cosmos.

    

      I was a member of Clark Planetarium's Advisory Board a few years ago. During my tenure on the board I recall discussing exhibit replacements during our monthly meetings.  The cost was an issue along with durability and educational value.  Now that the exhibits are in, I have nothing but praise to give the planetarium's staff.  They are the best I've seen. The kids loved them and were disappointed when I ordered them to the bus for the return trip home.  

    

     Please visit the Clark Planetarium located in the Gateway Center.  Spend time with the exhibits with your kids, students, or grandchildren.  See what true imagineering looks like.  Thank you Clark Planetarium and Salt Lake County for bringing the world's best to Utah. 

Imaginarium Theater
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The Lonely Voyager has a Friend. The Space Academy is a Two Ship Center Now. Thank You InfiniD and Thank You US Synthetic. See the New Farpoint Universe Designs. Meet Last Week's Young Astronauts. Imaginarium Theater

The Titan. The Little Ship that Could docked near the Voyager's entrance at Renaissance Academy.
Friend of the Voyager

     It's not good for a ship to be alone, as was the case with the Starship Voyager at Renaissance Space Academy.  For the last three years or so, the lonely Voyager carried out its duties with a stiff upper lip never revealing an emptiness in its warp core. Thanks to InfiniD and the good folks at US Synthetics, the Voyager has a new little friend - the Titan.

The Bridge of Renaissance Space Academy's Starship Voyager

The Entrance to the Titan is from the back.

    The Space Academy is happy to announce the arrival of the Titan, on an extended and hopefully permanent loan from our good friends at InfiniD Learning.  We also have to thank Maeson Busk, Director of the Discovery Space Center at Canyon Grove Academy for his assistance in transporting the Titan through the darkness of space on a cold winter's night.  Meeting him in the cold was Bracken Funk, Assistant Director at the Space Academy, who masterfully directed the docking without any damage to the school's outer wall while still leaving the view of the playground for the two classrooms on either side of the ship.  It was spectacular to watch (I'm told).  I was at end of another long 12 hour day. I was pulling out of the parking lot as he was pulling in. 

The Titan's Interior. It's tight for sure but no more so than the Galileo

     The Titan was built by InfiniD Learning with a large grant from US Synthetic.  The Space Academy's own Alex DeBirk was one of the simulator's designers.  Skyer Carr did much of the construction (don't be offended if I left you out of the credits. I only know what I'm told and what I remember I'm told).

The Titan in action with Maeson at the helm

      InfiniD Learning owns the Titan. How it came about coming to the Space Academy involved a lunch appointment between Casey Voeks and Bracken Funk.  Bracken threatened to sit on Casey unless he relented and offered a long long term lease in exchange for a maintenance agreement and the right to use the ship whenever InfiniD needed.  There may be a few other fine details to the deal.  The devil in the details is the domain of Bracken and Mark Ursic. 

Maeson Busk and Spencer Baird.
I really like the Titan's industrial look. 

     The Titan's Control Room is the size of a car trunk so don't expect Bracken or I to be doing much flight directing. This gives our thinner flight directors, Alex DeBirk, Isaac Ostler, Spencer Baird, and Jensen Caldwell a place to practice their craft. 

     The Titan will be used alongside the Voyager for the Academy's Young Astronaut Long Duration Missions and a flight director training facility.  It will also be added to the family of Farpoint ships offering private missions to the public at a great price.  

     Watch for more Titan information on the Academy's Facebook page (be sure to 'like' the page while you're there) or on The Troubadour.  And of course let's not forget the Academy's website; SpaceCampUtah.org.

New Farpoint Universe Designs 

     The Discovery Space Centers at Telos University and Canyon Grove Academy along with the Renaissance Space Academy in Lehi are practitioners of the Farpoint Universe.  Designing a new science fiction universe is no easy task. Everyone in the Space EdVenturing community has an opinion and the old adage "you can't please everyone" is especially true in this situation. That being said, the six Farpoint simulators need stories, and with the stories come special effects: ships, logos, etc, etc, etc, etc..... you get the point.

     In step some very talented men and women.  A new Farpoint Universe ship design and logo was introduced to the Farpoint community last week for comment and approval.  

     We begin with a new concept for an Anowway jumpship by Dr. Ryan Anderson, Director of Telos Discovery Space Center. Ryan is getting better and better with his designs as the weeks and months pass.  It's reminiscent of the Star Trek Vulcan ships.  The jumpship has a wormhole generator ring used to fold space into hyperspace.  There were several other designs released but this was my favorite.  

    

     Rebecca Anderson, Ryan's wife, isn't too bad at logo work and sent this out for comment and review.  Star Trek has Starfleet, InfiniD has Colonial Command, and Farpoint has the Terran Space Command.  I like it. Notice there are 8 planets and one star.  

     The Farpoint Universe is an excellent playground for all types of simulator missions, both fun and educational. What's even better, there are no copyright issues because it is ours.  Come fly in our universe at any of our Centers.  Visit DiscoverySpaceCenter.com for more information and to book a private mission.

Victor

Meet a Few of the Space Academy's Young Astronauts

     This last week four of the Space Academy's twenty Young Astronaut squadrons launched and set course for their six month mission to the Cardilir Neutral Zone and destiny.

The Troubadour would like to introduce you to the four squadrons and the daring young astronauts who have as their goals the exploration of the universe, the defense of Earth, and the guarantors of freedom and democracy to Earth's dominions far and wide. 

The 4th Grade Phoenix Squadron

Their "don't mess with the Phoenix Squadron" look. A challenge to the other 19 squadrons.

The 4th Grade Lion Squadron launched this week from Outpost 14.

The 3rd Grade Tiger Squadron succeeded in launching from the Outpost with minimal damage to the Voyager.

This was the Tiger's celebratory photo.
Third graders are a joy to fly

Imaginarium Theater

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