LAKELAND, Florida — The Aerospace Center for Excellence (ACE) on the campus of SUN ‘n FUN on the Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport will align the stars for students by bringing the only public planetarium to residents in Polk County thanks to the GiveWell Community Foundation’s Impact Polk Annual Grant Program.
The planetarium will reside on the SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus in the interactive learning lab for group tours and museum guests.
Since the planetarium is portable, officials with the Aerospace Center for Excellence plan to visit approximately 25 public schools each school year.
ACE plans to deliver the experience to approximately 5,000 more individuals throughout the year during their summer camps, group tours, on-site educational activities and the annual SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In & Expo.
Richele Floyd, education director at the Aerospace Center for Excellence, says this addition to the Education Corridor on the SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus will be a great tool for educators and students alike.
“We are excited to offer this technology within our existing, year-round, educational programs at ACE,” Floyd said. “The planetarium will be a valuable tool for educators and will provide students with a memorable experience on our campus or in their own classroom.”
The project is funded through a grant from the George W. Jenkins Fund within the GiveWell Community Foundation.