Mission to Mars Event Tomorrow…Are You Coming?

It’s almost here!

If you haven’t made plans to attend either of our Mission to Mars events on October 11, 2014, you’ll be missing out on an amazing opportunity to learn more about our space program, and all of the work and exploration we’ve been doing on the planet of Mars.

We’ve talked about how beneficial these types of programs are for kids, and to show you, we invite you to bring the entire family out for our Mission to Mars Family Fun Day. This part of our event kicks off at 10:00am this Saturday morning. All kids are invited to come wearing the best costumes, because we’ll be having a costume contest. There are also many other activities for kids to enjoy. They can get their faces painted, they’ll be able to meet a few Martians (and maybe even ask all those burning questions about Mars they’ve been dying to ask), and we’ll also have a scavenger hunt in the museum. This is definitely an event unlike any other, and your kids will have a blast.

They won’t even realize they’re learning!

After you have lunch at Sweet-n-Saucy, here in our Wings Cafe, you’ll want to finish up the fun and head home to prepare for the evening’s Gala (adults only). Joe Cavallaro and his Dixieland Jazz Band will be providing the music for the event, and there will be beer and wine tasting from local vendors. Sweet-n-Saucy has cooked up a delicious meal for the evening, and Shoshanna Cole from Cornell University will be on hand to discuss our last 10 Years on Mars.

This is such an important event for the Wings of Eagles Discovery Center, but it’s also important for the kids in our region. We love being able to provide them with STEM educational programs, and your support will help to keep those programs going.

We hope you’ll join us for an incredible weekend as we do our part to explore Mars and support STEM youth education in the Big Flats, Corning, Elmira and Horseheads area.

To make your reservations for our Gala, please click here. We’ll see you tomorrow!

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One Class Has a Unique Take on the Mars Driver’s License

Can you imagine what it would be like to drive a car on the planet Mars? With 38% less gravity than we have on Earth, it’s sure to be a challenge.

One teacher in the State of Washington had an idea to commission her students to come up with a Mars Driver’s License, and they rose to challenge. You can read all about it by clicking here, but we’ll give you the details.

First, the class talked about what life would be like on Mars, and how one would go about driving a vehicle on such treacherous terrain. They studied the current driver’s license for the State of Washington, and they took the various components from that license in order to design their own Mars license.

Of course, they had to take the project even further by contacting Mike Lowry, Washington’s governor. They wanted to know if he would be willing to sign their license, and his answer was an emphatic “Yes!” The class was thrilled, and the project grew even more. They ended up having a school-wide assembly where they performed a reenactment of what it would really be like to drive on Mars.

Once the license was completed, the students were so proud of the work they had done. Some high-ranking state officials had taken notice of their project, and to top it off, their driver’s license became the only piece of student artwork to have a prominent place in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum.

This is an excellent example of what kids can accomplish when they are given the opportunity to dream big. On October 11, 2014, you will have an opportunity to do your part to promote STEM youth educational programs here at the Wings of Eagles Discovery Center. Whether you bring your family out to our Mission to Mars Family Fun Day, or you return in the evening to attend our Gala, not only will you have a wonderful time, but you will become an important part of furthering the educational opportunities presented to our youth.

We hope you will join us! Please click here to register today!