Sunstruck: an integrated solar education experience summary the michigan science center (MSC) will create an integrated program that will enhance the understanding by student and family audiences of…

Sunstruck: an integrated solar education experience summary the michigan science center (MSC) will create an integrated program that will enhance the understanding by student and family audiences of our nearest star, the sun, and how IT impacts our world. Life on earth is made possible by the sustaining light and heat of the sun and the sun influences life on earth in ways that are essential, profound and sometimes dangerous. Sunstruck, will use the newest research and discoveries from the solar dynamics observatory mission and interviews with mission scientists to create a sun-earth connection-focused planetarium show, construct a related lobby traveling exhibit, develop educational materials for classroom use, install a heliostat at the science center and host pubic sun awareness events. The primary target audience for this project will be middle school students in detroit schools, which serve primarily african american and an increasing population of hispanic students. Statistics indicate that middle school is where students interest and performance in math and science begin to decline. However, interest in space science and space travel are frequently the gateway to stem (science, technology, engineering & math) interest for this age group. By focusing on space science in the middle school grades, a primary objective of the project is to positively impact student stem motivation and performance by the time they reach high school. The project also will increase the science and technology knowledge and awareness of the general public and increase their awareness of the important work of the NASA science mission directorate S heliophysics research program. The michigan science center, including our dassault syst MES planetarium and production staff, exhibit team and educators, under the direction of director of visitor experiences and principal investigator todd slisher, will be the lead organization on this project. The project will make use of material, interviews, footage, animations and other collateral already developed by the former detroit science center this project will be developed in partnership with the university of michigan college of engineering department of atmospheric, oceanic and space sciences, and in collaboration with the ford amateur astronomy club, the detroit public schoolsscience department, and university prep science & math middle school science faculty. The project budget is $212,418 for aperiod of performance of 2 years.