HAMLET — Fourth-grade science and social studies teacher Jessica Kinsey’s class was the last to visit Monroe Avenue Elementary School’s gym for a galactic gaze into what we know of the universe, thanks to Morehead’s mobile planetarium.
“They seemed to really enjoy it,” Kinsey said as her students lined up to exit the gym Wednesday afternoon.
The program formerly called PLANETS — Portable Learning for All of North Carolina Elementary Teachers and Students — travels to up to 100 locations per year to facilitate celestial education and entertainment sessions. Now in its third year, organizers have dropped the “forced acronym,” said Nick Eakes, outreach coordinator.
“It’s part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,” Eakes said. “This is our third year bringing it to Monroe Avenue.”
Consisting of what appears to be a dome-shaped tent with a projector inside to shine stars and planets onto its ceiling, delivering standards-based science education throughout the state to students in grades K-12 is the mobile planetarium’s goal.
Programs available for school presentations cover topics such as astronauts, black holes, Magic Tree House space missions, solar system odyssey and wild weather in the solar system.
“Our next stop today is Covington Street Elementary School in Laurinburg,” Eakes said. “We try to go to the western parts of the state before the cold weather, but we do cover as many schools as we can, from Murphy to Manteo.”
Third-grade science teacher Sharyl Gross arranged for the portable planetarium program to visit the school for a third year.
“I applied for a scholarship,” Gross said. “And we received it, but the donor insisted on remaining anonymous. We don’t even know who donated the funds.”
Gross asked Eakes whether it would at least be all right to send a thank-you letter from the school with Eakes serving as messenger.
“I don’t see why not,” he said. “I think we could arrange that.”
Founded in 2010, Morehead’s mobile planetarium “is the leading full-dome digital video mobile planetarium in North Carolina,” according to its website. Morehead’s mobile planetarium provides an inflatable dome, a digital projection system and an inventory of shows to serve all grade levels.
Reach reporter Melonie McLaurin at 910-817-2673 and follow her on Twitter @melonieflomer.