This spring, join your fellow MAPS members at one of our Armand Spitz Regional Meetings, an established tradition of 1 or 2 day gatherings for sharing activities on various themes.
As you know, MAPS is officially joining the rest of the country in the Pleiades National Planetarium Conference at St. Louis, MO next October 10-14, 2017. The Executive Committee hopes that many of our MAPS friends will attend with us and we will hold our official business meeting there.
Meanwhile, a few supportive members have volunteered to hold springtime area meetings within the region offering even more professional development and enjoyment to MAPS folks. These are akin to our established tradition of Armand Spitz Regional Meetings and will be 1 or 2 day gatherings for sharing activities on various themes.
The MAPS officers applaud the dedication of these folks to our members, and we hope everyone will take the opportunity to participate in one or more of the meetings. MAPS 2017 Area Meetings will be economical for participants, and prospective MAPS members are encouraged to attend.
The hosts are developing their meeting plans to take place at Bowie, MD, Schenectady, NY, Indiana, PA, and Mystic Seaport, CT. If you would like to offer input and support for them please contact, respectively, Patty Seaton, Megan Norris, Ken Coles and Brian Koehler.
We have overheard a few exciting ideas in the works. Patty, Meaghan and Ken are expecting to hold their meetings in May, and Brian June 8-9. Most will be held one afternoon and concluded the next morning. Patty hopes to have two full days with a trip to Goddard Space Flight Center in her agenda, and a full Saturday of activities with MAPS members and area public school teachers.
Treworgy Planetarium at Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic Seaport, CT | June 8-9, 2017
“Engaging Audiences of all Ages”
When: June 8-9, 2017
Host: Treworgy Planetarium, Mystic Seaport Museum
Contact: Brian Koehler, Planetarium Supervisor, Brian.koehler@mysticseaport.org
Howard B. Owens Science Center, Lanham, MD | May 19-20, 2017
“Teaching and Learning Under the Stars”
When: May 19-20, 2017
Host: Howard B. Owens Science Center
Contact: Patty Seaton, Planetarium Specialist, pxts13@yahoo.com
IUP Planetarium at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA | May 19, 2017
“Seeing Light in the Darkness: Educating the Audience in the Year of the Eclipse”
When: May 19, 2017
Host: Indiana University Planetarium (IUP)
Contact: Ken Coles, Planetarium Director, kcoles@iup.edu
Suits-Bueche Planetarium at miSci, Schenectady, NY | May 19-20, 2017
“History of Astronomy”
When: May 19-20, 2017
Host: Suits-Bueche Planetarium at miSci
Contact: Megan Norris, Planetarium Director, Megan.Norris@misci.org