More than 50 youth enjoyed an out-of-this-world Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) experience with Janet’s Planet Virtual Astronaut Summer Camp facilitated by Montgomery County Community College’s Cultural Affairs Department for the community.

Designed for youth ages 7-14, the interactive, online astronaut academy provided an array of hands-on activities, guest speakers, experiments and projects with instruction by Janet Ivey through a secure online Zoom room.

Ivey, an award-winning science educator, is the creator and CEO of Janet’s Planet, a dynamic series that focuses on science, space, history and exploration. The series, which aired on 140+ public television stations nationwide, has won 12 Regional Emmys and five Gracie Allen awards. She also serves as the president of Explore Mars, is an active NASA JPL Solar System Ambassador and serves on the Board of Governors for the National Space Society.

Janet’s Planet presentations have been a favorite of MCCC’s Young Arts Explorers Series for numerous years, and last year, Ivey taught her Astronaut Summer Camp program at the College’s Blue Bell campus. This year, the camp experience was held in an online setting that was equally as engaging and educational.

“My daughter, Abigail, and her friend Lauryn, both 12 years old and aspiring astronauts, thoroughly enjoyed their week-long virtual space camp,” said parent Erin Walkow. “The highlight for both of them was the presentation by the astronaut. Abby took three pages of notes and has made a checklist of things she needs to accomplish in order to fulfill her dream of working for NASA.”

“The girls were supposed to attend space camp in Montreal, but with travel restrictions, that was not possible. I am so incredibly grateful that I found out about this opportunity,” Walkow said. “The laughter and sounds of pure joy coming from her room while participating in ‘camp’ was a welcome change to the social isolation due to COVID.”

“Thank you so much for making it so special for Sachita. She thoroughly enjoyed the camp and was sad that it’s over,” said parent Supreeta Upadhya. “We’re looking forward to more such camps for Sachita and my little one who has already decided after hearing what Sachita had to say. Thanks a lot.”

Additionally, Brent Woods, MCCC’s Senior Director of Cultural Affairs, collaborated with the Norristown Area School District and its Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) initiative to involve students from the Norristown area through a scholarship program.

“It is all about the kids! Listening to them talk and ask questions and seeing them do the experiments was the best part of the camp experience,” Woods said. “It is our mission, whenever possible, to make these enriching programs accessible to area schools, such as Gotwals Elementary School and Eisenhower Middle School (of the Norristown Area School District).”

To conduct the experiments and create the projects, each participating family received a package of supplies before the start of camp.

“I had a room specifically set aside in my home to put the 50-plus packages together, which included an activity guide, astronaut journal, backpack, water bottle and materials to grow mung bean seeds, make a lunar or Martian habitat building, build an airplane glider, create straw rockets, build motorized moonbots, construct a lunar lander and build CD Mars hovercraft and fizzy air pressure rockets,” said Iain Campbell,  MCCC’s Cultural Affairs Program Coordinator.

One of the favorite activities involved learning about space agriculture. The participants soaked mung bean seeds for 24 hours and then planted them in a paper cup with cotton. By the end of the week, the seeds seemingly exploded with growth.

The speakers discussed an array of topics, such as space agriculture, air pressure, Bernoulli’s Principle, binary language, computer coding, and the solar system.

                                      Don Thomas, former NASA astronaut

“Janet leverages her network of colleagues who serve as special guests throughout the week,” Campbell said. “She had a wide variety of experts share their experiences and knowledge.”

The speakers included:

• Steve Sherman, a mathematician and chief imagination officer of com from Cape Town, South Africa, who was named the 2020-21 Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert and Global Learning Mentor
•  Donald Thomas, a former NASA astronaut, engineer, and mission specialist for four space shuttle missions aboard Columbia and Discovery
•  Rhonda Stevenson, the president/CEO of TauZero Foundation, Space Mining and Resources Coalition and Blue Elysium Capital Group; she is an experienced serial entrepreneur, with several successful businesses under her belt, including franchise, agriculture, and youth leadership endeavors
•  Melinda Benson, a pilot and member of Ninety-Nines: International Organization of Women Pilots (United Kingdome); she is an international educator and aviator and the founder of DC Aviation – Build A Plane Inc., a nonprofit organization that teaches children how to build and fly planes and consider careers in aviation
• S. Airforce Lt. Col Taj Troy, Air national guard pilot of the F-16 Wild Weasel and United Airlines 737 pilot (United States)
• Artemis Westenberg, the co-founder & president emerita of Explore Mars, Inc. (The Netherlands)
• Urooj Seemeen, of E Technologies Services in Pakistan, is an expert in teaching computing and coding to kids 8-16
• Kuniko Yamamoto, an origami artist from Japan; her website and YouTube Channel/Origami Air teach STEM subjects using the ancient art of origami
• Edward Gonzales, principal of STEM Engagement for Underserved and Underrepresented at NASA -National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

MCCC’s Young Arts Explorers program gives young learners direct access to stimulating and interactive arts programming.