Space Foundation Participates in STEM Events at Adams State University

The Space Foundation is participating in several special events open to the community in Alamosa, Colo., on Sept. 6-7 in conjunction with Adams State University (ASU)’s Zacheis Planetarium Grand Re-Opening Celebration.

The activities, supported by a $3.6 million grant to ASU from the U.S. Department of Education’s Hispanic Serving Institutions STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) program, included two events on Sept. 6:

• A ribbon-cutting ceremony at Zacheis planetarium
• A Community Festival at Zacheis Planetarium featuring new planetarium shows

• The San Luis Valley School Festival from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (elementary schools from 8:00 a.m. – noon; middle/high schools from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.)

The Space Foundation assisted ASU in securing the grant.

Space Foundation Education Activities Featured at San Luis Valley School Festival

The Space Foundation will present the following STEM-based education activities for elementary-school-age students, from 8:00 a.m. – noon:

• Solar System Bookmark Participants create a bookmark that shows all the celestial bodies in our solar system; suggested grade level: K-5
• Glow-in-the-Dark Constellations Participants learn about and create their own constellations; suggested grade level: K-5
• Stomp Rockets Participants create a rocket they can launch by stomping on a 2-liter soda bottle; suggested grade level: K-5
• Big Dipper Star Clock Participants explore the relationship between the Big Dipper constellation and time; suggested grade level: K-5
• Pocket Astronaut Participants learn the basics of ultraviolet light and how astronauts need to be protected in space; suggested grade level: K-5
• Create an Alien Participants “create” a new life form using what they know about living things and what they need to survive; suggested grade level: K-5

The Space Foundation will present the following STEM-based education activities for middle/high-school-age students for students, from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.:

• Straw Rockets Participants explore the relationship between rocket mass and flight range; suggested grade level: 6-12
• Puff Rockets Participants design, build and launch an air-powered rocket; suggested grade level: 6-12
• Glove Boxes Participants conduct experiments in glove boxes similar to those used on the International Space Station; suggested grade level: 6-12
• Star Cycle Bookmark Participants create a bookmark that shows the life cyle of a star; suggested grade level: 6-9
• Big Dipper Star Clock Participants explore the relationship between the Big Dipper constellation and time; suggested grade level: 6-12
• Create an Alien Participants “create” a new life form using what they know about living things and what they need to survive; suggested grade level: 6-12

There will also be planetarium presentations for students.

Space Foundation Among Special Guests

The Space Foundation will be among the special guests at the grand re-opening, which will also include Astronaut Col. Michael Good, USAF, Ret., NASA Liaison to Air Force Space Command, U.S. Northern Command, and North American Aerospace Defense Command, and representatives from NASA and from the Mexican Space Agency, Agencia Espacial Mexicana.

For more details, click here.