Planetarium Summer Series helps CWU connect with community

The Planetarium Summer Series at Central Washington University is a must-experience show.

When the lights turn off, the Lydig Planetarium ceiling is filled with a stunning view of the galaxy, stars, and planets. For many children who attend for the first time, it provides them with a first glimpse of the universe and outer space. More often than not, it also marks their first visit to a university lecture hall.

For the second year in a row, the Planetarium Summer Series has been taking place all summer inside of Discovery Hall, with six different shows that give audiences an opportunity to marvel at the beauty of the galaxy, the constellations, and the nebulae, not to mention the moon, the stars, and spaceships. The shows are presented via the planetarium’s premium digital projection system, allowing audiences to explore the wonder of the cosmos.

Creating a Public Gathering Space

Series coordinator Brittany Churchwell is passionate about astronomy, museum studies, and event planning. She enjoys sharing new experiences with others. When she recognized the emptiness of the enormous Discovery Hall space, she decided to create a place for education and public gathering.

"Why not do something for our community with a beautiful space that sits unused over summer," said Churchwell, an events coordinator in the Office of Admissions. "I just want to have our community here on campus and give back in any way that I could."

Churchwell's family has lived in Ellensburg for five generations, and she is keenly aware of the hidden disconnect between the university and the local community.

"I think the locals see CWU more as an entity and something that's just here, but something that they don't really have access to," she said. "I would love to extend these events to our community, to give back and try to bridge that a little more to promote the town-to-gown feeling."

Churchwell believes the connection will be reinforced if the university offers local residents chances to engage in accessible, hands-on experiences.

"I think we can talk all day about community, but without visible action - it's just empty words," Churchwell said. "We need to do things to give back to our people and our community."

Each show works as a small step that gradually bridges the gap between the CWU and the Ellensburg community; consolidating the relationship between the two parties, and transforming CWU into a place where creativity, unity, diversity and inclusivity can come together.

A Place That Values Curiosity

The planetarium creates a special platform for people to ask questions, exchange knowledge and explore new scientific concepts.

Most visitors remain after the show to ask questions. The Q&A session often lasts around 20 minutes, giving kids a chance to ask why the moon appears in various shapes or learn more about black holes. Adult guests are more interested in the mechanics of craters and the function of galaxies. Every question is treated with care and respect.

"I love seeing that interaction as a whole, and how it's a communal space where everyone feels that they belong and everyone's able to ask their questions from a toddler to an elderly person," Churchwell said.

As someone who struggled with hearing disability as a child, she often felt marginalized, and learning sometimes presented a significant challenge. She remembers being ignored and mistreated by others due to her disability, and that feeling contributed to her desire to create a place where no one feels left out.

Beyond the theater, the planetarium becomes a new educational playground for children, where they learn, explore science, and gain confidence.

"I want to give students the inclusion that I didn't get," Churchwell said. "It doesn't matter their background, and it doesn't matter their disability — they can come be part of these academic spaces. Part of that is treating these young kids like little adults compared to treating them just as kids."

Sparking Future Dreams

A side benefit of the Planetarium Summer Series is that it opens up opportunities for children to approach a topic they don’t know much about.

For Churchwell, it's essential to provide children with opportunities to broaden their visitors and be exposed to various career options.

"We tell kids they can be anything they want to be, but they won't be what they can't see," she said. "If we expose them to more things, expose them to new spaces, to new career, then we might be able to change the course of their lives."

 When visitors wander around the Discovery Hall, they can explore a range of disciplines besides astronomy, such as geology, physics, engineering, and other fields.

By showing children the Lydig Planetarium and giving them access to other parts of the CWU campus at an early age, Churchwell hopes they will discover new interests and career possibilities.

"I think getting kids on a college campus and showing them the different majors, the different departments, the different programs, you start to show them all the different career paths that they can have,” she said.

Shared Curiosity, Shared Discovery

The enthusiasm found inside the planetarium this summer has been one of the highlights of the series, Churchwell said.

She can sense the excitement when she hears the audience’s reaction as stars drift across the dome, or when the program ventures through distant planets and galaxies. These reactions add to Churchwell's excitement about bringing joy and connection to others when they gain knowledge.

"I want it to be less of a lecture and more community building and networking," Churchwell said. "People are coming and socializing and learning that academic spaces can be communal and can be a conversation space."

Each show offers fresh themes, with a goal of visitors returning over the summer.

Through the transposition of familiar concepts such as fire and water to distant worlds, visitors of all ages can observe the remarkable beauty of the world beyond the Earth.