Blog Archives

InfiniD Learning New Sizzle Reel.

1/28/2024

Our friends at InfiniD Learning released impressive new missions this school year. My Young Astronauts and Voyagers at Renaissance Academy's The Space Place enjoyed a couple new missions which involved "The Crooked Snakes". One lesson was on gravity and another, for our 3rd grade Young Astronauts, had them using times tables to solve riddles. The missions were a hit. One of my squadrons took 10th place in the national rankings.
This is a reel showcasing some of InfiniD's animations this year. If your local school isn't using IniniD Learning in the classrooms contact me and I'll help you get the ball rolling. InfiniD Learning makes learning fun using experiential education.
[email protected]

And that's not all, here is another piece of fantastic news from InfiniD Learning from their Facebook page.

Meet the InfiniD Learning team. five of them, including the two founders, were once volunteers at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center. A few were flight directors. They were infected with the space bug at the Space Center and worked diligently to make the Space Center experience available to the masses. After years of hard work and persistence they achieved their goal and more. Immersive, experiential education is now a reality for schools around the world. I'm proud to be a part of this team in my own small way (I get to play the voice of the ship computer in their missions).

The Space Center is a Pleasant Grove Landmark, So Says Slim Chicken

If you look closely you'll see the Space Center's logo on the middle building. Amazing isn't it? Look at how our little space education center has grown. From me sitting behind my desk with an overhead projector and boom box to a state of the art planetarium and six beautiful simulators right here in Pleasant Grove. Next on my wish list, a brown freeway sign, the kind the highway department puts near freeway exits announcing a local attraction, landmark, or national park. It isn't too much to ask.

The Space Center Hosts a Global Game Jam

Last Friday evening the Space Center played host to one Global Game Jam 2024 site. The event was organized by Dave Stevens, a Space Center volunteer. Global Game Jam is the world's largest game creation event. It is happening in over 100 countries around the world. It started on Friday and ends tonight. The closing ceremony will be broadcast live in the Space Center's planetarium. Tens of thousands of game developers from all over the world world are making games around a chosen theme.

The even was open to all Voyager Volunteers, Explorers, and their family members and friends. Dave worked with our Voyagers and others on Saturday from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. in the school's computer lab on their projects. The final presentation and closing ceremony for the 48 hours will start at 5:00 P.M. in the planetarium. Here participants and guests will be able to see all the cool things people at the Utah Jams built.

Imaginarium Theater
The Week's Best Videos from Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience

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The Starships Magellan and Cassini Have New Supervisors. The Voyager Club Learns About Astronomy at the Science of Light. Two New Voyager Academy Workshop Taught Last Week. Imaginarium Theater

1/21/2024

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Cameron, Rachel, and Henson

Admiral Porter has been busy this past month approving outstanding Voyagers for promotion. Three exceptional individuals have earned their stripes, or rather, their Royal Blues, to become the new supervisors aboard the grand starships Magellan and Cassini. Meet Henson, Cameron, and Rachel – the trio that has successfully completed rigorous training, showcasing their unwavering dedication to quality and their commitment to the their starships' missions ahead. Cameron and Henson have been appointed to serve on the Magellan. Rachel will serve on the Cassini.

The Magellan and Cassini, vessels known for their adventurous missions in deep-space exploration, have always relied on the expertise of their supervisors to ensure the safety and efficiency of their operations. Henson, Cameron, and Rachel, having spent countless hours immersed in training, have proven themselves worthy of this pivotal responsibility.

Supervisors play a crucial role in the functioning of a starship. They are responsible for the well-being of the crew and oversee their work to guarantee the seamless execution of the ship's missions. The Royal Blue uniform symbolizes not only their authority but also their deep understanding of their ships' intricate systems and protocols.

Henson, known for a keen analytical mind and an unyielding sense of responsibility, brings a wealth of experience to the role. Cameron, with a background in engineering and a reputation for cool-headed decision-making, is poised to contribute significantly to the ship's technical operations. Rachel, an adept communicator with a knack for fostering camaraderie, is expected to excel in fostering a positive and collaborative environment among the crew.

Tyler Gotcher, captain of the Magellan, Commander Elinor Clark, captain of the Cassini, and Admiral James Porter expressed their confidence in the newly appointed supervisors. "Henson, Cameron, and Rachel have shown exceptional dedication and skill throughout their training," stated Admiral Porter. "I have full faith that they will uphold the values of Starfleet and contribute to the success of our missions."

The transition to a supervisory role on a starship is no small feat, and the trio's ascent to leadership reflects not only their individual accomplishments but also the high standards set by both their ships' captains and Admiral Porter. As they embark on their new roles, Henson, Cameron, and Rachel carry with them the weight of responsibility and the honor of serving on two of Starfleet's most revered vessels.

The crews of both ships eagerly anticipate the positive impact these new supervisors will have on their missions. With Henson, Cameron, and Rachel on the bridges and working in the Control Rooms, the starships Magellan and Cassini are poised to continue their legacy as beacons of exploration and discovery in the vast expanse of the cosmos.

The Voyager Club Held its January Meeting Last Saturday
The Christa McAuliffe Space Center's Voyager Club met for their monthly meeting on Saturday. To encourage its members to arrive on time, the club started with Bingo at 8:00 A.M. and the meeting itself started at 8:30 A.M. Several Voyagers won various prizes including $1,000,000 banknotes (good luck trying to spend them at the local gas and guzzle store :)
Club President Mikey called the meeting to order at 8:30 A.M. after a hard-fought game of Bingo blackout, won by Marcus. His prize was a one ounce pure silver coin. The first item of business was new introductions.

Six new members of the club stood and introduced themselves. Some had just completed their first missions in the simulators as Voyager Volunteers this past week. I explained the new method of running departments and then turned the time to Dave Stevens who talked about the Global Jam coming to the Space Center this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Please read his Google Classroom post (posted a few days ago) for more information.

Jason monitoring the 3D Glasses Activity

Jason Trump is a member of the Voyager Academy's faculty in addition to his full-time job as Director of Education at Clark Planetarium in Salt Lake City. Jason was the instructor of the month and taught the monthly astronomy lesson on "Astronomy and the Science of Light".

Jason did an outstanding job taking light, the essence of astronomy, and making its use in discovery easy to understand. He used both hands on learning and discussions with photographs from both the Hubble and James Webb Telescopes to illustrate his lesson. We are lucky to have someone like Jason on our volunteer faculty because he shares our goal of "Creating a Space-Faring Civilization".

After Jason's lesson the traditional raffle prize drawing was held. This month several gift cards from Swig, Costa Vita, Starbucks, and Smash Burger were awarded by the Voyager Club's Leadership Team. Other prizes included a 3 in 1 charging station and a large wall tapestry of an astronaut batting a ball on a distant world. The meeting ended right on time at 9:45 A.M.

I want to thank former club president Aiden for supporting the Voyagers by attending. The monthly Voyager Club meeting is primarily for Volunteers and Explorers, but having Space Center staff members in attendance and showing support is very much appreciated.

The Voyager Academy's Writing and Acting Departments Hold New Workshops

Head Teacher Brylee taught the workshop "Story Writing and the Mission Binder" last Tuesday. Several Voyagers and CMSC staff attended. Story Writing and the Mission Binder is a four week course and is the first course offered by the Voyager Academy's new Writing Department. Keep an eye on the Google Classroom for news on new courses.

Headmaster Tyler taught Acting 101 "Beginning Acting for the New Volunteer" on Thursday. Tyler Weight is the Acting Department's Headmaster. Acting 101 is a required one meeting workshop for all new Voyager Volunteers. It is also open to experienced Voyagers who would like to brush up on the basics. Several of the Space Center's new Voyager Volunteers attended along with a few older Voyagers.

Imaginarium Theater
The Week's Best Videos From Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience

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Here We Are

1/14/2024

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Hello All,
The original Troubadour Blog is still with us but I restricted it to access by invitation only. This week I received copyright warnings from Blogger about two of the hundreds if not thousands of posts in The Troubadour. I checked the blog posts they indicated and found NOTHING that violated a copyright. The post had a story I'd written with my photos - nothing else. Blogger converted the two posts to "draft" status so they are still visible to me. Included in the email was a warning that if they receive more complaints the blog could be taken down completely. I'm not going to risk losing The Troubadour and all those posts which is why I removed public access until I learn more about what they as a violation. Another safety precaution was to download a copy of the blog. With those safety measures in place, and until I learn more about what Blogger sees as a copyright issue, future posts will be here in our Voyager Club website. Questions about this can be addressed to me at SpaceCampUtah.org.

Victor

An Update on the American Heritage Discovery Space Center at the American Heritage School in American Fork

Last week Bracken Funk, Megan Warner, and I went to lunch with Alex Debirk, the director of the American Heritage School's Discovery Space Center. We talked shop and caught up on Alex's news. Afterwards, we went to American Heritage to see the latest updates to the Discovery and Galileo. We also did a couple hours of fine tuning the Farpoint Universe. The Farpoint Universe is the science fiction world both American Heritage and The Space Place at Renaissance use for their simulator missions.
Alex is burning the candle from both ends. He is the school's full time physics teacher in addition to his position as director of their space center. He was hoping to run a school day program for the school's students, but no longer can because of his duties in the classroom. He is currently preparing to open an after school Young Astronauts / Voyager Club patterned after the program at Renaissance Academy.

The Staff Gather

The Christa McAuliffe Space Center's staff gathered last week to celebrate the start of the new year with fun and games. I'm not one for board games but the Space Center's staff are all in when it comes to enjoying each other's company.

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InfiniD Learning New Sizzle Reel.

The Space Center is a Pleasant Grove Landmark, So Says Slim Chicken

The Space Center Hosts a Global Game Jam

Imaginarium Theater
The Week's Best Videos from Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience

The Starships Magellan and Cassini Have New Supervisors. The Voyager Club Learns About Astronomy at the Science of Light. Two New Voyager Academy Workshop Taught Last Week. Imaginarium Theater

Imaginarium Theater
The Week's Best Videos From Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience

Here We Are

The Staff Gather

Author

Archives

Categories

InfiniD Learning New Sizzle Reel.

The Space Center is a Pleasant Grove Landmark, So Says Slim Chicken

The Space Center Hosts a Global Game Jam

Imaginarium Theater The Week's Best Videos from Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience

The Starships Magellan and Cassini Have New Supervisors. The Voyager Club Learns About Astronomy at the Science of Light. Two New Voyager Academy Workshop Taught Last Week. Imaginarium Theater

Imaginarium Theater The Week's Best Videos From Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience

Here We Are

The Staff Gather

Author

Archives

Categories

Imaginarium Theater
The Week's Best Videos from Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience

Imaginarium Theater
The Week's Best Videos From Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience