Specialized visual effects projectors can create meteors, lightning, auroras, eclipses, rockets hurtling through space or a journey to the surface of another world. The Planetarium serves as a resource to students, teachers, and community, providing the most current trends in astronomy and space exploration. The Planetarium functions as a community resource as well as an integral part of the school district elementary science program. With emphasis on family programming, the planetarium presents evening star programs to the public. The Planetarium is also made available after school hours for private groups including scouts, church groups, science clubs, senior citizens, day care centers and others.
Income generated from private programs is used to purchase equipment and supplies.
The Planetarium is offered by a director who works with the science department chair to integrate the Planetarium program into the science program. The Earth Space Curriculum developed for the classroom is consistent with the interdisciplinary and process oriented goals of the elementary science program. The Planetarium program, which culminates the classroom astronomy unit, creates an effective three dimensional environment, which can demonstrate challenging and difficult space science concepts to a wide variety of student learning styles.