Mission Report: November Voyager Club Meeting (Held in December!)
Date: Saturday, December 6th (The actual November meeting!)
Time: 8:00 AM Sharp!
Location: Christa McAuliffe Space Center (Home Base!)
Even with Thanksgiving pulling us off course and pushing our monthly rendezvous into December, the Christa McAuliffe Space Center's Voyager Club had an amazing, high-energy meeting.
For your blog readers who don't know, the Voyager Club is the Space Center's volunteer club for anyone aged 12 to 100. We're not just a club; we're a Space Faring Civilization in Training, dedicated to the twin pillars of creating that civilization and, critically, Volunteerism right here at the Space Center. Astronomy, cosmology, leadership, team-building, and a healthy dose of science fiction—those are things we love.
Bingo Blast-Off and Presidential Welcome
Bright and early at 8:00 AM, the meeting kicked off with our traditional warm-up of several rounds of Bingo. Nothing makes a young volunteer happier than hitting that lucky line.
Club President Eavie then took the con at 8:30 A.M., welcoming our dedicated, yet sleepy congregation.
The Legacy of Leadership
We had a blast from the past as former Club Presidents Aiden and Mikey joined us for an unannounced visit to pump up the volunteers. They shared a few thoughts about the impact volunteers have on the program. They reminded everyone that their work is the engine that makes the Space Center experience unforgettable. Thank you Aiden and Mikey for dropping in. Let's make it every month. It isn't too much to ask :)
Charting a New Sci-Fi Universe
Next up, Space Center Administrator Mitch Foote revealed exciting news: the Space Center is building a brand new Science Fiction Universe! Mitch encouraged all Voyagers to flex their creative muscles and get involved in the story creation process. Imagine: your ideas could become the next great space saga!
Cosmic Cleanliness: A Message from Megan
Every great starship needs a meticulous crew! Megan Warner gave a vital reminder about the importance of tidiness. That staff room? Keep it pristine! Those awesome costumes? Handle them with care and put them away properly! Taking care of our Space Center is how we show professionalism and respect for our mission.
The Main Event: Space Debris - A Lesson in Low-Earth Orbit Cleanup!
Jason Trump, Director of Education at the Clark Planetarium, is the club's teacher. He gave lesson on the growing, very real problem of Space Debris (a.k.a. "space junk") polluting Earth's orbit.
But Jason didn't just lecture; he brought the ultimate hands-on challenge! Every Voyager was issued a Blow Tickler (the kind without the annoying horn—thank you, Jason, for saving our sanity) and a pile of Legos as "space debris."
The Mission: Apply a bit of double-sided tape to your tickler. Then, using only your breath, you had two options for clearing the orbital lanes:
Re-entry Burn: Push the Lego debris off the table (simulating pushing it into a lower orbit to be captured by Earth's gravity and burned up in the atmosphere).
Capture & Containment: Use the sticky tape to capture the debris and bring it safely into a designated "holding area."
The sight of dozens of Voyagers puffing away, strategizing their space junk removal, was hilarious and a blast (watch the video). It was a perfect, fun illustration of a very serious problem.
Raffle Wrap-Up!
The meeting concluded with the part everyone loves: the Raffle. Congrats to all the winners who took home some awesome prizes.
Thank you to every single volunteer for showing up, bringing your energy, and being the vital core of the Christa McAuliffe Space Center. Your dedication to volunteerism, training, and all things sci-fi is what makes our club special.
Next Stop: The December Meeting. We have a special meeting in the planning stages.
Mission.io On Fire in Michigan. Skyler Carr Reports from the Frontline. Simulations Based Experiential Education Spreading.
Skyler Carr, and the entire Mission.io team are on missions to change the educational world one classroom at a time. Watch this video Skyler just posted about his successes in Michigan.
No comments:
Post a Comment