Voyageurs Conservancy Receives National Park Foundation Open OutDoors for Kids Grant to Connect Students to Voyageurs National Park’s Starry Skies
“How are stars born?”
“Can you see artificial light from space?”
“What is outside of the universe?”
These are a few of the many insightful questions Education Specialist Jesse Gates receives when he presents the Voyageurs Dark Sky Classroom to a room of wide-eyed 4th grade students. Jesse is presenting a live virtual field trip that brings these students out of their desks and away from the bright lights of civilization. He’s presenting the Dark Sky Classroom and inviting students to discover the starry skies of Minnesota’s national park.
Credit: Erik Fremstad
The Voyageurs Conservancy is the recipient of an Open OutDoors for Kids grant from the National Park Foundation. Funding support will help the Conservancy launch its virtual Dark Sky Classroom, connecting hundreds of elementary students throughout the state to lessons that share the ecological and cultural importance of our night skies. Voyageurs National Park was recently certified as an International Dark Sky Park. The Voyageurs Conservancy is ensuring students can experience the area’s magnificent night skies, whether they visit the park or not.
“Many of these young explorers have never seen the Milky Way or Northern Lights. We want them to know this is a resource they can experience and even protect,” says Breanna Trygg, Education and Outreach Director at the Voyageurs Conservancy.
Sparking creativity and curiosity, the Voyageurs Dark Sky Classroom is a joint program with the National Park Service and Voyageurs Conservancy, the official nonprofit partner of Voyageurs National Park. The Dark Sky Classroom brings Voyageurs National Park and the wonder of the night sky to elementary students through hands-on learning. These virtual field trips introduce dark sky concepts such as light pollution and northern lights, and allow students to investigate phenomena through hands-on activities.
Participating classrooms learn about stewardship and engineering their own solutions to light pollution and disappearing dark skies. Students use their newfound knowledge to develop educational posters and DIY light pollution-free light fixtures. This education program is an innovative way to connect Minnesota elementary schools to their national park from their very own classrooms.
Students presentation on light pollution
“Our Dark Sky Classroom will connect with students year after year as teachers can integrate this as part of their curriculum to meet academic standards in a student-focused way,” Breanna Trygg explains.
Using interactive visits and comprehensive three-touch lessons, students get a chance to feel connected to the park while learning about engineering, science, and social studies. Jesse Gates, Conservancy Education Specialist, reflects on his experience bringing the Dark Sky Classroom to young learners:
"Presenting our Dark Sky Classroom has been such a rewarding experience! I have received an amazing set of questions as well as innovative student projects. It is clear that students have an active interest in learning about the night sky and how to protect it. I am thrilled that our Dark Sky Classroom can serve as a way to continue to feed their curiosity and test their ingenuity," says Jesse.
Students engineer a light-pollution-free light fixture to combat the negative impacts of light pollution.
Funding support for the Voyageurs Dark Sky Classroom is courtesy of the National Park Foundation’s Open OutDoors for Kids program. Since 2011, NPF has engaged more than one million students in educational programs connecting them with national parks across the country.
“National parks are America’s largest classrooms, and Open OutDoors for Kids seeks to connect as many kids as possible to them,” said National Park Foundation President and CEO Will Shafroth. “With parks, learning is fun, memorable, and hands-on. Parks open kids’ eyes to the wonder and complexities of nature and history, sharing diverse perspectives that offer a wider understanding of our country’s progress and struggles.”
The Darky Sky Classroom is an ongoing resource for teachers who want an engaging way to connect their students to STEM principles and their national parks. These lesson plans support national and state standards, including Next Generation Science Standards and Social Science standards. Teachers interested in bringing the Dark Sky Classroom to their students can sign up for a lesson at voyageurs.org/voyageurs-classroom.
Credit: Erik Fremstad
ABOUT THE VOYAGEURS CONSERVANCY
The Voyageurs Conservancy is the official charitable partner of Voyageurs National Park. The Conservancy is a 501c3 nonprofit that works with the National Park Service to support conservation and recreation projects, advance education and outreach, and protect the wild nature of the park. Learn more at www.voyageurs.org.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
The National Park Foundation works to protect wildlife and park lands, preserve history and culture, educate and engage youth, and connect people everywhere to the wonder of parks. We do it in collaboration with the National Park Service, the park partner community, and with the generous support of donors, without whom our work would not be possible. Learn more at www.nationalparks.org.
The NPF Open OutDoors for Kids program is made possible by private philanthropy, including support from Youth Engagement and Education premier partner Union Pacific Railroad, and supporting partner GoGo squeeZ. Additional funding is provided by Alicia and Peter Pond, Apple, Columbia Sportswear, Sierra, Parks Project, Humana, The Batchelor Foundation, Inc., and many other donors. Learn more about NPF’s efforts to engage students with national parks as classrooms.
