NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Author's note: The video above is on file from March 2, 2021.
With the upcoming launch of NASA's latest piece of technology, the James Webb Space Telescope, happening in December, a local organization is holding an event for middle school students and their families to get excited about science and inspire the community.
The Brooks Crossing Innovation and Opportunity Center in Newport News is having a free STEM exploration event on Nov. 6 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Brooks Crossing.
“We are thrilled that Brooks Crossing is an official host site for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope launch community events,” said Betsy McAllister, Hampton City School STEM Educator and Educator in Residence at the National Institute of Aerospace.
“We have partnered with the City of Newport News, Newport News Public Schools, the City of Hampton, the National Institute of Aerospace, and Old Dominion University to help our community celebrate this amazing feat of science and engineering."
Guest speakers and hands-on activities will be available by organizations, such as NASA, the National Institute of Aerospace, the Virginia Living Museum, the Virginia Aquarium, The Mariners’ Museum, Virginia Space Grant Consortium and the Naval Information Warfare Center.
Participants will also be able to access the Opportunity Center's features, which include a recording studio, virtual reality games and woodcutting.
"People of all ages and backgrounds will find inspiration in the Webb mission, which will fundamentally change our understanding of the universe for this generation and many to come," McAllister said.
The Webb Telescope will be NASA's most complex telescope yet. Using infrared technology, it will provide a more in-depth and detailed view of the cosmos.
The STEM event is free and open to the public. Registration is not required, but children must be accompanied by an adult and masks and social distancing will be enforced inside the center.
If canceled due to weather, the event will move to November 20 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.