Space Foundation Takes New Horizons Program to Alaska

During February, a Space Foundation team toured Fairbanks, Alaska, taking our New Horizons community education program to the community.

The six-day program was presented by Space Foundation team members Special Advisor – Human Spaceflight and former NASA Astronaut Dr. Leroy Chiao, Space Education Specialists Elias Molen and Amy Robinson and Vice President – Marketing and Communications Janet Stevens.

Events

• Astronaut presentations, lectures and hands-on classroom sessions at 10 public and private schools that reached more than 1,000 students
• A distance learning session with nine rural schools
• A public “Meet and Greet” session with the Space Foundation team
• Presentations at local Kiwanis Club meetings
• Two standing-room-only public Audience with an Astronaut Sessions
• Television, radio and newspaper coverage
• A visit to the local Boys and Girls Club
• A one-day teacher professional development workshop based on our week-long Space Across the Curriculum kinesthetic astronomy course

Valued Sponsors

The program was made possible by Fairbanks Teacher Liaison Marci Ward, who raised community support for the program. Ward teaches fourth grade at Immaculate Conception Grade School in Fairbanks.

The lead sponsors were Pogo Mine and the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. Additional sponsors included BP, the Chena Kiwanis Club, Denali State Bank, the Fairbanks Economic Development Corp., the Fairbanks Kiwanis Club, Fountainhead Development, Inc., Fort Knox Gold Mine, Overhead Door, Alpha Delta Kappa Sorority, Noel Wien Library, Jeffrey and Kelly Brooks, Gina and Ted Hoppner, Sheila Gwizdak, Faith and Paul Walsh, Judy and Johne Binkley, Mary Binkley and Grace Minder.

To see photos, click here.

To inquire about a New Horizons program for your community, contact us at  [email protected] or via phone at +1.719.576.8000 or +1.800.691.4000.

Pictured: Top right, Dr. Leroy Chiao being interviewed by local TV station KTVF; middle left, the Audience with an Astronaut presentations included autograph sessions; bottom right, Chiao speaks with students at Weller Elementary School.

This article is part of Space Watch: March 2013 (Volume: 12, Issue: 3).