From the outset, our goals for The Great Space Adventure were to craft an experience that would communicate and educate attendees on a special astronomical event, create hands-on, minds-on learning experiences in science and engineering, and engage and excite participants of all ages, with a particular focus on students between 12 and 17 years old.

While we could have easily collected content knowledge gains through pre- and post-surveys on eclipses (space science) and aerodynamics, or student attitudes toward science, this was not our goal during this event. Instead, we carefully selected a diverse range of activities, each designed to promote thought, collaboration ( Figure 1 ), active participation, and interaction with scientific concepts in a dynamic and interactive environment.

The planning stages for The Great Space Adventure began approximately six weeks before the established date. Over the course of weeks, faculty discussed activities and logistics for the day. Once the general outline of planned activities was decided upon, faculty designed an agenda for timing, location, and transitions throughout the day.

We then created an informational flyer ( Figure 2 ) and shared it amongst university departments via email. The event was posted through a university-wide announcement, the flyer was posted outside faculty offices, and it was disseminated through social media accounts on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn. This information was also shared with Civil Air Patrol (CAP) squadrons across the state to recruit students/cadets.

A QR code for event registration was included on the flyer for convenience and interested parties could contact EKU faculty, or CAP squadron leaders, with questions.

To maximize the registration window, but allow ourselves ample time for event adjustments, we kept registration open for three weeks and closed it five days before the event. This allowed EKU faculty members and CAP Commanders to complete all final preparations based on participants’ ages and grade levels, as well as finalize the agenda timing, activities, and lunch break during the day.

It was important to us that we highlight the versatility of the planetarium beyond the scope of the dome. While our planetarium does have a large classroom space, it was not large enough to accommodate the number of participants or planned interactive activities. Therefore, we maximized common non-educational spaces including the lobby, waiting room, and outside areas for this program.

Throughout the day, events were organized using a station format that rotated half-hourly. Participants were encouraged to visit all stations but had the option to choose stations based on individualized interests. If they were excited to do an activity again, we did not want to force them to move on because science and learning should be fun and stimulate interest.

The activities included solar eclipses using physical modeling—in the planetarium classroom, indoor rocketry—in the waiting room, outdoor rocketry—in the outdoor area, drones—in the planetarium classroom, flight simulators—in the simulator lab, and virtual three-dimensional modeling in the planetarium—in the theater.

The various stations were led by university faculty based on our teaching experience and expertise. We recruited EKU student assistants based on their majors in education and aviation—they had a high degree of interest and knowledge to interact and educate the STEM-day participants. And CAP Kentucky Wing cadets who had leadership experience were tasked to lead certain sessions and provide logistical and instructional support throughout the day.

In total, there was an amazing turnout of adults and students from the community and CAP in attendance ( Table 1 ). Of the 10 community students, ages ranged from five to 12 years old, which required us to have some small group and more personalized dialogue to be age-appropriate. And of the 45 CAP cadets, approximately 40 fell between 12 and 14 years old, while the remainder were 15 to 17 years old. Due to a wide age range, all student participants had varying degrees of STEM knowledge and experience. However, this was not an issue as leaders were able to make adjustments in modeling, questioning, and activities to engage all students during the day. Overall, these demographics met our original expectations for the age of participants based on topics and activities selected.

Many Kentuckians were able to view the previous total solar eclipse within the path of totality in 2017 as that eclipse passed through the southwestern part of our state. Due to the crossing paths of totality in our state ( Figure 3 ), and the fact that we could easily travel into Indiana or Ohio to view totality, one of the program highlights of our event was the exploration of eclipses. Any person who has not previously viewed a total solar eclipse will not have a chance to observe this phenomenon for many years unless they are willing to travel long distances in 2044 or 2045 ( Gajanan, 2024 ).

By using interactive physical modeling and engaging discussions ( Figure 4 ), participants gained a deeper understanding of these celestial phenomena, discovering the interactions between the Sun, Earth, and Moon.

Furthermore, students were presented with ideas to contribute to data collection methods as part of the NASA Globe Solar Eclipse Project ( NASA, 2024 ; Civil Air Patrol, 2024a ). This was an excellent example for anybody to engage in citizen science by getting community members to engage with the total solar eclipse. Research indicates that citizen science can enhance understanding of scientific practices while contributing data to ongoing studies ( Schatz, 2018 ) and it can demonstrate the potential for meaningful scientific contributions by students ( Brown & Liu, 2024 ). Additionally, Brown and Liu also report an increase in behavioral engagement following participation in citizen science projects.

While we did not track whether students who participated in our STEM-day collected and submitted eclipse data, we do know that many CAP members across the United States did participate in this large-scale citizen science project. It was reported that at least 4000 CAP members collected more than 250,000 data points from the eclipse, contributing data on air temperature, cloud cover and type, wind speed and direction, and precipitation ( Civil Air Patrol, 2024b ).

Another focal point of the program included an introduction to rocketry. There is a clear connection between space science and aerospace through engineering and design. Participants designed, constructed, and tested (indoors) or launched (outdoors) their model rockets. Guided by expert faculty, participants embraced the challenges with enthusiasm, learning valuable lessons in physics, aerodynamics, problem-solving, and the engineering design process throughout the day. This was an area where CAP cadets with rocketry experience through the CAP Aerospace Education curriculum were able to assist other station participants.

The indoor rocketry activity was set up accordingly—two chairs directly across from each other, separated by a distance of 25 feet, and connected by a string. The challenge was to propel a satellite as far as possible along a string ( Figure 5 ) using their knowledge of propulsion, weight balance, and friction. This activity included components of the engineering design process from Engineering is Elementary ( Museum of Science, 2020 ) and Model Rocketry curriculum ( Civil Air Patrol, 2024c ). Participants were guided through stations on brainstorming ideas, designing and constructing satellites, and testing whether their satellite could be successfully launched from one side to the other. Each satellite had a similar design ( Figure 6 ), and students were tasked with redesigning and retesting their creation to improve results after initial testing, a key feature of the engineering design process.

The outdoor rocketry activity involved participants using various materials to construct a rocket body tube, nose cone, and fins. Once their design was completed, students were able to test the success of their design by using a stomp rocket launcher ( Figure 7 ). Based on the results, and after observing others’ designs, our young rocket engineers were encouraged to improve their design by revising and relaunching their rockets. It was very fulfilling to hear their questions, observe their rocket designs, watch the participants build and test the rockets, as well

as see their expressions as their creations soared into the sky. One of our younger students launched her rocket and exclaimed, “That was amazing!” ( Torrellas, 2024 ).

Incorporating emerging technologies, such as drones, into our program provided students with a glimpse into the future of aerospace engineering. Although drone technology is not new, advancements continue and better drones have become affordable for the general public. This activity was unique in that it was student-led by CAP cadets who have experience using drones.

During this station, participants explored dynamics and forces of flight using indoor quadcopter drones ( Figure 8 ) provided through the CAP Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE) program, as well as exploring concepts such as navigation, control, and autonomy. After this valuable content was presented and leaders modeled flight, the controls were handed over to other participants to practice flying.

In addition to learning about flight through drones, CAP Kentucky Wing cadets were also able to visit our university flight simulator laboratory. In this setting, cadets received instruction from EKU aviation students about basic airplane controls and the capabilities of planes during flight. Afterward, students were able to select a simulator ( Figure 9 ) and fly freely in different types of aircraft (e.g., commercial planes and fighter jets) using their recently gained knowledge. “The experience was extremely valuable, and it increased my interest in pursuing a career in aviation”, as this student has decided to attend EKU and major in aviation. It also had a positive effect on learning, as one student commented, “The simulator was very realistic, and it was cool. I literally knew nothing before, and after this experience, I feel that I know a lot”. Furthermore, cadets received a tour of the Central Kentucky Regional Airport where they learned about aerodynamics and gained hands-on experience working alongside EKU Aviation faculty and students while exploring light aircraft.

In connection with the primary focus on eclipse outreach, attendees ended the day with a live planetarium show guided by an expert astronomer and planetarium educator. We are very proud of the Hummel Planetarium, as its 67-foot diameter and 194 seats make it the largest planetarium in the state. It truly is a magnificent space for informal science to take place.

The digital capability of the planetarium took students on a journey through the cosmos (flight) where they observed the night sky, learned about the dynamics of planetary motion (manipulation of time and dynamic modeling), and encountered awe-inspiring visuals that only a planetarium can provide ( Thornburgh, 2017 ). Participants observed the interactions between the Sun, Earth, and Moon and they were able to witness the virtual modeling of the April 8, 2024 eclipse ( Figure 10 ). This experience fully complemented the earlier classroom material and physical modeling of eclipses and sparked an increased interest in why eclipses occur. It helped everyone understand why the 2024 total solar eclipse could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for those who have never seen one before.