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I recently learned about this forum and have spent time looking through the
archives. I have read some great discussions. The discussions that
interest me the most are the comments made about Como Planetarium. I have
a personal interest in the posted comments because I am the teacher in
charge of the program.
I would like to make a couple of comments about the program. I would first
like to applaud Tim Erickson for taking the time to visit the planetarium
and see the facility in action. I appreciate his comments posted March 26.
Just to give you a little background about the program, if you haven't
visited my web site: The planetarium was built in 1975. It has a 30 foot
dome and is equipped with a Automated Spitz Model 512 star projector. The
projector accurately displays 3,500 stars, sun, moon and five visible
planets. Today, upgraded versions of the same projector are still being
installed around the world. The 60 anchored chairs face the same direction,
while the star projector turns on its vertical axis to bring the sky into
view in all directions. Over forty slide and ancillary projectors add to
the lessons. It is definitely a great asset for the school district.
I am the only person who works at the facility. My main mission is to
provide planetarium lessons for the St. Paul children. Each lesson helps
students meet the districts science outcomes (now called standards.) I
also support an astronomy curriculum for teachers to use in conjunction
with their class's planetarium visit. I also schedule and arrange
transportation for all St. Paul classes to come to the planetarium.
Doing public shows is a relatively new venture for the program. I do
public shows, not specifically to raise money, but to help raise awareness
of the program in the entire metro area. Since the Minneapolis Planetarium
was torn down, this is the only planetarium that can provide lessons for
school children.
Raising awareness about a program like this is a difficult and expensive
endeavor. Remember, product manufacturers spend millions of dollars just
to get product recognition. I have to rely entirely on free newspaper
coverage. If you look in Friday's entertainment sections of the Pioneer
Press and Star and Tribune, you can find a small half inch piece
advertising my public shows which are presented at 7:00 on Thursday
evenings.
I have gotten a couple of articles in the Press and Tribune and a features
on Channel Nine News and cable TV. The media tend to only do articles when
there is a problem, like budget cuts or planetarium closings. The school
districts communications department has given me limited help with
advertising public shows. I think they are also understaffed. The
communications department has mentioned the planetarium in the
inter-district employee publication a few times. The planetarium is also
listed in all of the district's phone number lists, directories and web
page.
Remember the planetarium is not a big secret to the children of St. Paul.
More than 600,000 children have attended lessons here in the last 29 years.
Each child has to have a permission note signed by a parent in order to
attend a lesson. Many of those parents signing permission notes today were
once children who attended planetarium lessons with their elementary school
classes.
To make sure the planetarium is used by as many children as possible, at
the start of each school year, I am given a list by the human resources
department of all the teachers who would most likely have a reason to use
the planetarium. I contact those teachers and fill my schedule in that
way. There may be teachers who do not teach astronomy or space science who
may not be aware of the program.
In the last two years, I have volunteered over 200 hours of my time working
on public shows. (My wife dares to think I should have a life outside of my
job.) All of the gate receipts go to the planetarium. Public shows do not
generate much income. They could never come close to supporting the
program.
I encourage anyone who is interested in, or critical of the program, to
stop by and see the facility in action. Better yet, feel free to volunteer
some of your time. I'm always looking for people who could help with
office work, answer the phone, schedule groups, create visuals, create
audio tracks, handle transportation billing, assist with public relations,
or develop curriculum.
Also, I am hosting an information session for solving the planetarium's
funding problem. The meeting will convene immediately after the 7:00
public show on Thursday, April 29th. Any one who attends the meeting will
receive a free ticket to the show. The public show is "Honey I Shrunk the
Solar System". If you would like to see the public show and attend the
meeting, send me an email and I will attach a PDF form of a free ticket.
You can contact me at 651-293-5398, or [EMAIL PROTECTED] Feel
free to visit my web site: www.planetarium.spps.org.
Thanks for your time.
Always looking up.
Dennis Brinkman
Planetarium Teacher
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