A brilliant new program inspires stargazers and science teachers.
This program, called Stellar Dreams, is run by the non-profit organization The Science Haven. It will give away 100 telescopes with the goal of stimulating interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in underrepresented and disadvantaged families.
Founded by molecular biologist Raven Baxter, The Science Haven espouses a vision to create an inclusive arena for all shades of scientific dialogue and impactful connections between diverse communities. Through an expanding platform of events, educational programs, web series, workshops and public discussions, The Science Haven is dedicated to promoting accessibility to science and building an inclusive environment where perspectives, ideas and opinions can be expressed.
Stellar Dreams is the nonprofit’s newest focus, a curiosity-inducing project that provides 100 beginner-friendly Celestron telescopes to 100 disadvantaged students in grades 5-12 and their families across America, beginning with a recent deployment in Buffalo, New York. In addition to donating telescopes, Stellar Dreams also offers recipients a chance to become members of a junior astronomer training program, teaching them how to use their new astronomical instruments and providing information on free citizen science research in astronomy.
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Led by CEO Baxter and Gamble, an astrophysicist at NASA, Stellar Dreams captured the world’s attention with its innovative outreach effort. The duo was recently selected for the Astronaut Rock Star Award by Uniphi Good on National Astronaut Day for being pillars of support and pioneering voices in space exploration and STEM/STEAM education. (The “A” in STEAM stands for “art.”)
“The genesis of the Stellar Dreams program was really a little seed that just grew and grew,” Baxter told Space.com. “To grow from a simple idea last July to a successful and award-winning project within six to nine months is a huge achievement. I am extremely honored and so grateful for the support that we were able to unite behind Stellar Dreams.
“The STEM programs are doing a good job, but I see a lot of duplication and duplication. As someone who has been involved as a facilitator, participant, or evaluator, I believe that STEM programs deserve more innovation. Today’s kids need bigger challenges, better opportunities and innovative people who drove them. I thought about my own childhood and what were some of the things I was exposed to that cultivated an interest in STEM and I remembered my grandparents’ telescope. They had it in the sun room and I would take the telescope out during the day trying to look at things but I couldn’t as their house was wooded and I couldn’t look past the trees.
“So I used it inside, trying to look at things very closely, and that’s how I got interested in molecules. When I got my doctorate in science education, I learned about all the literature that supports telescopes, and that early access to tools and resources really has a measurable impact on whether someone pursues a career in STEM.”
Gamble is the program director of Stellar Dreams. He became involved as an active stakeholder, feeling that this project aligned with his own career initiatives.
“Raven is really good at putting a bat signal,” he told Space.com. “She told me this idea and I thought it was fantastic. Stellar Dreams was very close to home for me. Being a black astrophysicist myself, I know the numbers. I was one of those kids. Now I can share my experience. I know they want these types of telescopes and they want to be able to look at these things in the night sky and have access to the local astronomy community.
“I used some of my artistic talents and designed them little astronomy cards and posters for the juniors through our sponsors and partnerships so they have tangible things and I was able to bring in NASA items and stickers. They got a big bag of stuff, along with the Buffalo Astronomical Association, helped give telescope lessons and put on a show in the planetarium, and we were able to bring the kids right into the association as junior members.
This ambitious project has met its goal of 100 telescopes, but they are still raising funds for program costs after launching it with 25 Buffalo students.
“We are looking to continue this program in other cities in the D.C. and North Carolina area,” Baxter said. “I’m kind of a hometown hero and it felt really good to give back to the community that invested so much in me. The faces of these children were so bright and so happy, and their families were also deeply involved in our program. I receive updates from the families and they are grateful for the opportunity. “
Recipients of Stellar Dreams receive a solid mid-range Celestron Travel Scope 80 telescope. The range also offers a phone stand that allows students to take photos on their smartphones. The comprehensive kit even comes with a launcher app and a small laser star finder.
“For some of these kids, they’ve never touched a telescope before,” Gamble said. “They didn’t know there were lenses and mirrors inside one. So they had to put together their own telescope and then go out and use it alongside larger telescopes brought in by other people and ask subject matter experts like me questions about what they were seeing. It’s been full circle for me, growing up as one of those kids and now being able to give them a telescope, it helped me get a NASA medal, one of the best, so I’m forever grateful too.”
For more information about the Stellar Dreams Project, partnership opportunities and how to donate to this worthy cause, visit them at their online headquarters.
