Eugene Science Center is pleased to offer programs that bring our engaging, hands-on science lessons directly to your classroom.
Each lesson is designed for a single class of students and lasts between 45 and 60 minutes. A teacher must be present in the room. Multiple classes in a school may be scheduled for the same lesson back-to-back.
Please contact [email protected] to request an outreach program to your group.
Other facilities/organizations (libraries, afterschool clubs, public fairs/festivals, etc.) may schedule a Eugene Science Center appearance by emailing [email protected] with information about the event/program and intended audience.
Introducing our new Portable Planetarium and electric Outreach Vehicle! We are thrilled to announce the addition of a Portable Planetarium system to our outreach program. This state-of-the-art tool uses the same software as our on-site Planetarium, allowing us to take our exciting and interactive live shows on the road! Our Portable Planetarium was purchased thanks to the generous support of grant funds awarded by NASA and the Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund. Our new electric outreach was purchased thanks to the generous support of a EWEB Electric Mobility Community Grant. This vehicle allows our educators to travel throughout our region with zero emissions to deliver educational programs.
Portable Planetarium outreach activities require:
- 25’x25’ clean indoor area with 12’ ceiling height
- An accessible electrical outlet
- Time for set up and tear down (~15 minutes on each end)
Outreach Activities
We are developing all new outreach activities. Please check back regularly to see updated offerings.
Coming Soon!
Our Stars, Our Skies: Our First Teachers: This program is designed as an extension of the “Our Stars, Our Skies” planetarium show. It can, however, be adapted to be a stand alone program. In “Our Stars, Our Skies,” students are introduced to three ways that humans have interacted with the stars throughout history: storytelling, navigation, and time-telling. Students explore each of these through different hands-on activities. First, students make their own constellations and write their own stories using the night sky. Next, students explore celestial navigation as they “wayfind” around their classroom to tell a story. Lastly, students explore time-telling through examining the length and positioning of shadows cast by lego structures.
Life Beyond Earth: This extension activity is designed to expand on content introduced in the “Life Beyond Earth” planetarium show. It can, however, be adapted to be a stand alone program. In “Life Beyond Earth,” students explore natural conditions on other celestial bodies (i.e., Mars, Venus, Enceladus) that may or may not support the conditions necessary for liquid water and life. Students are then divided into groups to engage with a physical model of one of these celestial bodies. At their assigned model, students use laser thermometers to identify where on the celestial body optimal temperatures for life may occur. Once they have identified a location, they build a structure designed to support human life at this location using a variety of insulating and reflective materials.
Coming Soon!
Our Stars, Our Skies, Our First Teachers (Live): This program focuses on the night sky and humanity’s integral ties to it. What did the night sky mean to our ancestors? Across cultures, stars have been used to track time, inform agriculture, and navigate across the globe. More than just a technical tool, the night sky is an important canvas for storytelling and the transfer of oral history. Constellations have been relatively consistent throughout human history, allowing information to be upheld over tens of thousands of years. Today, this can help us to understand everything from early astronomy, the migration of early peoples, and the stories we told one another. This live planetarium show explores these concepts as we travel around the globe using the night sky as our guide for storytelling, wayfinding, and time telling.
Life Beyond Earth (Live): This program covers concepts of energy transformation and water cycling as we explore the possibility for liquid water on celestial bodies beyond Earth. This live planetarium show begins with an exploration of three diverse environments on Earth – the rainforest, the desert, and the southern pole – to discuss the relationship between energy and liquid water. Students are then encouraged to transfer this understanding as they explore two celestial bodies beyond Earth – Mars and one of Saturn’s moons, Enceladus. Using liquid water as a possible indicator of extraterrestrial life, this program encourages students to think deeply about the connection between energy, the water cycle, and basic biology to make predictions about each place’s potential for life.
5th and 7th Grade: Eugene Science Center provides space science outreach to every 5th and 7th grade class beginning in Jan 2024 until at least June 2026.
Outreach Prices
| Outreach Type | First Program | Additional Program |
|---|---|---|
| School (45-60 minute Classroom Program) | $100 First Class (max 30 occupants) | $85 Additional Class |
| Tabling an Event/Festival (up to 90 minute program) | $120 Flat Rate | $120 for each additional 90 minute block of time |
| School Assembly | Currently unavailable | |
| Portable Planetarium (45-60 minute program) | $225 Flat Rate (max 30 occupants) | $200 |
| Additional Mileage Fee | $0.67/mile for locations beyond 30 mile driving distance from ESC |