TOWAMENCIN- Visitors to the planetarium and North Penn’s astronomy students are about to bridge some earthly technology with the solar system’s distant mysteries.

North Penn High School’s planetarium is a resource that is regularly used throughout the school day and in the community. In order to ensure constant excitement and originality, Mr. James Bauman, North Penn Planetarium Director, constantly works to create and attain innovative projects. One of his most recent endeavors entailed the application for a wifi accessory that would connect an iPad and the planetarium’s new telescope.

When Bauman was awarded the accessory, courtesy of the Educational Foundation, it was supposed to allow wireless connection between an iPad and the new telescope. However, after a few issues with using wifi, the project adjusted in order to meet the primary objective. Now using a cable to unite the two entities, Bauman will be able to begin implementation in the planetarium as it will function the same way as the initial proposal has described. The only difference between the two accessories is that the cable will require the user to be positioned directly next to the telescope, as it lacks the wireless feature that wifi presents.

Bauman explained that the cable will ultimately enhance the use of the telescope’s object locator. By typing specific details into it, the object locator notifies one as to where the telescope should be pointed. With this assistance, one will be able to use an app called SkySafari on the connected iPad as a guide in finding things through the telescope. The app shows where the telescope is pointing and allows one to search various things that are in the sky. Bauman noted that if everything was aligned correctly, whatever the iPad is showing is what the user should see through the telescope. While studying objects such as a planet, moon, galaxy, or nebula, the observer will be provided with two different resources, both offering ample amounts of accurate, insightful information.

Wanting a way to combine the power of the iPad and the planetarium’s new telescope to increase interest in using telescopes and observing things, Bauman was inspired to build upon what was already available to him.

“This is now my fourth year in this position and [I’m] always trying to find new things that we can do,” explained Bauman. “The planetarium can do so much and you always want to try to do a little more.”

At the high school, the planetarium’s use is available to numerous classes and clubs. Astronomy, marine science, and biology classes along with the astronomy club and ROTC use it at different points during the year for various reasons.

Although the planetarium is found at North Penn High School, its location does not restrict the massive impact it’s capable of having within the district and community. The bulk of students that Bauman receives are from the elementary level as he sees from first grade up to sixth grade on a regular basis. Still, depending on their schedule, eighth grade makes a visit once or twice at a given time. In addition, through a community education program offered by North Penn School District, anyone in the public is welcome to attend the monthly evening courses in the planetarium for a reasonable registration fee.

Because the planetarium presents itself as an easily accessible resource for students and community members, a wide range of people will be positively impacted by the project Bauman will now implement. Bauman’s quintessential project that influences the district and community is one that makes the Foundation proud to fund such experiences.

“Anytime the Foundation can assist the district staff in utilizing innovating, exciting methods of reaching students, inspiring them, or exciting students about further learning, the district, the community, and our future is better for the efforts the Foundation can make,” explained Mr. Robert Rosen, Foundation trustee and Attorney-At-Law.

Rosen explained that grants must be for items or experiences not funded by the district, which impact as many students as possible or give a limited number of students a unique experience. He noted that because this particular grant enriches the ability to use and experience the planetarium, it qualified for approval, thus, allowing for implementation.

Because Bauman’s need was identified, he will be able to take the extra step in his work to continue influencing students and community members with the hopes of increasing interest in what the planetarium has to offer. However, with the prevalence of technology in science based programs, projects much like Bauman’s have difficulty being funded in the district’s standard budget.

“In the science curriculum, a lot of it comes down to technology, which is not always cheap and not always able to be funded by the normal funding resources that teachers have available to them,” explained Bauman. “The grant provides them a way to say ok well I can still do this and I can still get this piece of technology and do something neat in my classroom. Everyone’s always trying to find new things to do and new technologies to use. Our funding only goes so far and the grant allows it to go a little further.”

As Bauman enacts the telescope accessory in the Planetarium, his skills as an educator will benefit as much, if not more than, the students and community members. Bauman explained how the cable will cause him to invent ways to present a constant eagerness among those affected by the project.

“It’s going to force me to, number one, make sure I know how to use it and make sure I can use it effectively,” explained Bauman. “And it’s going to force me to come up with new ways to use it. Now that I have this piece of equipment, the iPad and connecting everything together, how can I use that to then get across different things in the classroom? That’s where it’s going to force me to do different things.”

Bauman’s passion to create, propose, launch, and expand upon projects prove his talent to inspire and increase the interest in those who are exposed to the planetarium, which, ultimately, is anyone in the North Penn community.