The second round of the astrophotography program, YCCC (Youth Capture the Colorful Cosmos), is wrapping up for Professors Jessica Turner and Chuck Pearson, and the two will host a reception for the middle school students and their families in Harrison-Jones on Friday April 19, 4:30-5:30 p.m. The media and anyone interested in astrophotography are invited to attend.
For the past six weeks, Drs. Pearson and Turner, with the assistance of interns at the College, have worked with at-risk students from Virginia Middle School and Vance Middle School in Bristol, Virginia and Tennessee. The students will exhibit their photos alongside a digital exhibit at the reception. During the six-week program students were introduced to a wide variety of resources in the Smithsonian’s Micro-Observatory Telescope Network, including the ability to control the robotic telescopes via the Internet and use its software to capture their versions of the cosmos. The students’ chosen images, as well as their captions, poems, and reflections on the program, will be on display during the reception. Refreshments will be served.
YCCC is a collaborative project with Bristol’s Birthplace of Country Music (BCMA). The program was developed by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO). YCCC is described as a true interdisciplinary program connecting the sciences and the arts. Through the program, Turner and Pearson introduced the students to various college programs including the sciences, heritage studies, and Virginia Intermont’s renowned photography program.
For more information on the program and its reception, please contact Dr. Jessica Turner at jessicaturner@vic.edu or 276-466-7191.
Youth Capture the Colorful Cosmos is funded by the Smithsonian Institution’s Youth Access Grants program managed by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Education and Access. The project is led by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, in partnership with Smithsonian Affiliations.