A Day in the Life of a Space Center Field Trip Staff Member. The Last Field Trip of the 2009-2010 Season. Things Haven't Changed Much at All. This Week's Imaginarium Theater.

A Typical Day for the Space Center's Field Trip Staff

     I haven't participated in a Space Center field trip since May of 2012 so I was excited to help with the field trip last Tuesday. Renaissance Academy had the Thanksgiving week off so I was able to attend. The bus arrived around 9:45 A.M. and departed shortly after 1:30 P.M. I'm pleased to report that the field trip program is pretty much just as it was when we did our last field trip in May 2012.  
1.  The bus arrives. Lunches are brought in first and stowed away for later. 
2.  The students line up into the A.M. and P.M. simulator groups. In 2012 we lined them up outside on the sidewalk (no room in the old Central School lobby). Now they line up in the Space Center's nice lobby.
3.  The A.M. simulator groups head to the bathrooms. 
4.  The simulator group is divided into their ships, boarded, trained, and flown.  The planetarium students head to the planetarium. In 2012 they did the bubble planetarium and had a class lesson with Lorraine Houston.
5.  The planetarium group eats lunch in the lunchroom first.  After lunch they go the restrooms and ready to board the ships.
6.  The A.M. simulator groups end their missions, go to the lunchroom to eat, then to the planetarium.
7.  Both groups meet up again at 1:30 P.M. to board their bus and head home. 
     The field trip staff are the bread and butter of the Space Center.  For most people, the field trip program is where they are first introduced to the Space Center and our programs.  We give them an outstanding field trip and they want to come back for private missions, camps, and planetarium shows.  
     It is a tough job working field trips.  The missions are very repetitive and you fly without volunteers, and sometimes without supervisors.  Your ships are full and you have the classroom teachers watching your every move.  Be sure to thank the field trip staff when you see them for the work they do to make the Space Center successful because the field trip program is the Space Center primary mission in the District.  It is because of field trips the Space Center still exists today. The school district saw how successful they were when we opened in 1990 and because of that, decided to fund the Space Center with a full time teacher so it could be open during the school day.  
     The field trip program needs volunteers.  If you have time during the school day, please contact Mr. Porter at the Space Center and then join our Voyager Club. 
     I took several pictures of the field trip from beginning to end.  Enjoy.....   

---

A Field Trip From the Past.  May 26, 2010. The Last Field Trip of the 2009-2010 School Year.  Great Times...... Great People!

     This is a post I wrote in The Troubadour on May 26, 2012 about our last field trip for that school year.  It comes from the original blog The Troubadour.  If you'd like access to the originial blog, which covers the years 2008 to 2023 contact me.
​Mr. Williamsono

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