The East Kentucky Science Center was once a private, non-profit science center and

planetarium A planetarium ( planetariums or ''planetaria'') is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation. A dominant feature of most planetarium ...

located on the main campus of

Big Sandy Community and Technical College Big Sandy Community and Technical College (BSCTC) is a public community college with its headquarters in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. It was created in 2003 from the consolidation o ...

Prestonsburg Prestonsburg is a small home rule-class city in and the county seat of Floyd County, Kentucky, United States. It is in the eastern part of the state in the valley of the Big Sandy River. The population was 3,255 at the time of the 2010 censu ...

, Kentucky. As of 2008, the EKSC became part of Big Sandy Community and Technical College, which now funds and operates the Science Center.. The center features a planetarium, exhibit hall with traveling exhibits, science classrooms, and gift shop.

History

Low test scores in both

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

and science captured the attention of educators and local residents in 1994. A coalition was formed that focused on promoting and implementing science education into the region. At one of the first meetings, John Rosenburg proposed an ambitious plan: to build a science center and

similar to the one in Gastonia, North Carolina, his hometown. Rosenburg had already created the proposal for the East Kentucky Center for Science, Mathematics and Technology, which gained support of

State Representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...

Greg Stumbo.Attractions
Floyd County Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved on 2010-09-27 After outreach education operations in 1997 proved that the majority of population within the region had difficulty in understanding mathematics and science, the organization began developing hands-on programs that would help overcome these issues. In 1998, the Kentucky General Assembly appropriated $1.6 million for the construction of the building and another $1 million for the centers equipment. The awarded funds were based on figures provided by a consulting architect working under the assumption that costs were significantly lower than those required for a project built on the campus of a community college. The centers board of directors noticed this mistake and was forced to downsize the building plan. The new revised plans called for a facility, with an 85-seat, . planetarium, . exhibit area, . science classroom, gift shop and offices. In 2000, the organization received an additional $1 million for the construction of the building. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on November 9, 2001, and construction began in September 2002. Finally in March 2004, the East Kentucky Center for Science, Mathematics and Technology, which was shortened to the Eastern Kentucky Science Center, opened to the public. As of July 1, 2008, the East Kentucky Science Center became part of Big Sandy Community and Technical College which is part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.08 RS HB 622/GA
Retrieved on 2010-09-27 During the Fall of 2011, The East Kentucky Science Center and Planetarium made a $200,000.00 upgrade to the Planetarium. A Spitz SciDome HD Full Dome projection system was installed to complement the GOTO Chronos Star Machine and the SkyLase Laser system. In 2018 a SkyLase Manual Laser controller was installed to do live laser, and in 2019, a new Chroma Cove LED lighting system was installed. These upgrades greatly enhanced the programs and made the Planetarium one of the most technologically advanced Planetariums in the country. It is also known as the East Kentucky Science Center and Planetarium, and the East Kentucky Science Center and Varia Planetarium.

References

External links

School Program Catalog & Visit Planner (2016-2017)
{{EMCF Attractions Museums in Floyd County, Kentucky Science museums in Kentucky Museums established in 2004 Planetaria in the United States 2004 establishments in Kentucky Prestonsburg, Kentucky University museums in Kentucky