STARS Align at Price Elementary: Smithsonian Gifts Computerized Telescope to Yuma Proving Ground School

Since the late 1950s, Pfc. James D. Price Elementary School has educated thousands of military students in grades kindergarten through fifth garde.

Located on the Howard Cantonment Area of U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG), the school recently gained a new piece of educational equipment: a Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with a computerized mount.

The telescope, complete with a solar filter and accessories to support astrophotography, is a gift from Scientists Taking Astronomy to Rural Schools (STARS), a program of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Arizona’s Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory is managed by the institution, which made the state a logical pilot location for the program.

“It is taking advantage of the beautiful night skies in rural areas and using astronomy as an entry point to feeling good about science and STEM overall,” said Jason Gurtman, Community Engagement Specialist for the Smithsonian STARS Program. “We’ve seen a lot of enthusiasm from the teachers here in Yuma County and we’re really excited to be launching the program here.”

Personnel from the organization visited Price School on October 15 to help familiarize the faculty and students with the telescope kit and facilitate an astronomy activity. Divided into multiple groups, as one group of students took turns observing the sun through the solar filter, others learned about the order of planets in the solar system and crafted their own sun dial out of a paper plate and construction paper. Principal Alexandria Johnson was on hand, as was Yuma Elementary School District # 1 Governing Board Vice President David Ibarra.

“I’m so excited and happy for this opportunity,” said Brenda Findley, who teaches a combined third through fifth grade class at the school. “When the telescope came to the classroom and we were able to put it together, they couldn’t wait until today to use it.”

That evening, Findley accompanied the Smithsonian personnel to facilitate a night observation for the public at the Foothills Branch of the Yuma County Library.

“It’s really cool,” said student Elias Barrera. “I helped set up some of the telescope with my friends.”

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