“Every person that attends this event loves it,” said Lisa Delfino, NES team member at Harris. “There’s something about hanging out at school in the dark, drinking hot chocolate and looking at the stars that makes it a magical experience.”

 

Harris is an alumnus NASA Explorer School. The NES program is NASA’s classroom-based gateway for middle and high school students that provides authentic learning experiences designed around NASA’s unique missions while promoting students engagement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics based on NASA’s resources. As an alumnus program, Harris’ program has been reorganized. Harris students continue to enjoy STAR parties, as well as Math & Science Discovery Nights and astronaut assemblies.

 

“My granddaughters loved the STAR Party,” said Laurie Viramontes, data processor at Harris. “They had never looked through a telescope before and couldn’t stop talking about the craters on the moon, the Seven Sisters star cluster and all of the other things they saw that night. They were so excited that I let them use my telescope to continue the party when we got home. The STAR Party definitely sparked their interest. I’m so thankful for programs like these to help expand a child’s education.”