Imagine. The Context. Company Profile

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1 Smart Stem The exciting telescope project championed by PlanNet21 s Denise Tormey and CIT-Blackrock Observatory connects Cork and San Francisco in a unique and innovative way Imagine Imagine a project that uses the inspirational medium of astronomy to stimulate interest in science and technology in a way that has never been done before. Imagine bringing live astronomy into the classroom, where students get to control real telescopes in real-time and take pictures that they want to take. Imagine giving students the chance to write their own software code to connect with the telescopes. Imagine them discussing their pictures with students in classrooms across the globe and opening up discussions not only about cultural, technological and societal issues, but about the burgeoning space-science industry that use satellites to look down on our fragile planet just as they are gazing skywards using telescopes. Stimulate the imagination and you stimulate creativity. The Context The weather in Ireland cannot rival California s clear blue skies but the country has a strong astronomical heritage. For example, the oldest known astronomically-aligned structure in the world at Newgrange was built 6500 years ago and the world s largest telescope was constructed in Birr in 1845, holding its preeminent position until the Hooker telescope Silicon Valley Global 141

2 Cork City Manager Mr Tim Lucey, Dr Niall Smith, CIT Head of Research, Mayor Edwin Lee, Mr Denis Collins, Chairman of the Board, cork at Blackrock Castle Denise Tormey, President & Co-Founder PlanNet21 Inc. was built in California in Ireland s most influential scientist, William Rowan Hamilton, spent his entire working life at Dunsink Observatory. Hamilton is world famous for his mathematical discoveries that are key to the operation of spacecraft even to this day. Against this backdrop it is not so surprising to find an observatory in a 16th century castle in Cork. CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory is home to a team with a vision to build an array of small telescopes in California to inspire students and their parents and friends to engage in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). The concept is known as a SMART telescope array because it is designed to respond to the rapidly changing needs of young and old, parent and teacher alike. As students mature, so do their interactions with the SMART array, then as technology changes, the array can be reconfigured to continue to act as a stimulating cutting-edge technology test-bed. More specifically, a SMART telescope array is a network of telescopes which can either be controlled live via the internet by people, or which can operate independently using software and sensors that let the telescopes think for themselves and know their state of health. SMART telescopes represent the leading edge in technology and can act as powerful test-beds for technology and educational development, encouraging enquiry-based Denise championed the vision of using astronomy to build a future educational system learning and teamwork for users. A SMART telescope array represents the next generation in SMART STEM education. One of the strengths of the SMART array concept is that it comes out of an environment at CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory (CIT BCO) that understands the need to involve all the key stakeholders in society in STEM education. CIT BCO itself is made possible by a unique partnership between Cork Institute of Technology, Cork City Council and external stakeholders including the public and enterprise. This triple-helix approach echoes back to the triple-helix carvings that are characteristic of Newgrange. The vision is to engage young and old in the amazing journey that is science, a journey that has almost immeasurably improved our lives in less than two centuries. The widespread low engagement and pursuit of STEM careers among young people has serious implications for companies who rely on a supply of highlyeducated graduates in technology. It can be traced in large part from a negative experience of STEM at school, where young people often find STEM subjects difficult or boring, science classes fail to inspire them and they are not given enough opportunities to explore. SMART STEM is all about putting that exploration front-and-centre to make sure that everyone involved feels a part of the process. The advantages of developing a SMART STEM approach using telescopes lies in the well-known inspirational effects that astronomy has, especially on getting young students interested in science. The need to inspire kids when they are young was explicitly supported recently by President Barack Obama in his 2013 State of the Union Address: Every dollar we invest in high-quality early education can save more than seven dollars later on. Studies show that students who are exposed to inspirational science by the age of 12 are TWICE as likely to consider degrees in college in STEM. That s an enormous difference - but starting young is not enough. As the renowned astrophysicist, broadcaster and science communicator Carl Sagan wrote: Every kid starts out as a natural-born scientist and then we beat it out of them. A few trickle through the system with their wonder and enthusiasm for science intact but only a few. So to keep people engaged in STEM it is important to appeal to students throughout the entire time that they spend in school and indeed beyond their school years. The telescope array is designed to do exactly that. Silicon Valley Global 143

3 San Francisco s Mayor Lee reaches for the stars with Cork students at Blackrock Castle on St Patrick s Day at the announcement of the SMART STEM array Making it happen Considerable progress on phase one of this ambitions project has already been made. The first telescope in the array will be sited at Ormondale Elementary School in Portola Valley in summer 2013 thanks to the support of its Principal, Jennifer Warren and the staff and Board. In Ireland its primary sponsor is Zenith Technologies, a company closely associated with Cork Institute of Technology. The collaboration with Ormondale Elementary could not have happened without the foresight, belief and hard work of Denise Tormey, an Irish entrepreneur who recently moved out to California with her family to continue the expansion of her company PlanNet21. Denise s children go to school in San Francisco where there is a huge focus on maths, science and technology. Through networking at the ITLG Global Technology Leaders Summit held at City Hall, Cork in January 2013, Denise understood and championed the vision for using astronomy to build a future educational system to provide the intellectual feedstock for high-tech companies such as the tech clusters at Silicon Valley and it@cork, European Tech Cluster. Denise saw the technology potential but also the ability to connect children on both sides of the Atlantic in a unique and exciting way. By fostering relationships at an early age and exposing children in Ireland to technology, a whole area of opportunity opens up and the model can be rolled out nationally and internationally. Cork and San Francisco are sister-cities and on Saint Patrick s Day 2013, San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee, officially announced the SMART STEM programme at Blackrock Castle when he visited Cork with a large delegation comprising supervisors, industry and municipal leaders. At the announcement, Mayor Lee said This is an incredible project; it is one that reflects the best of our intentions for the Cork sister city, for our vision and for our youth, for the role of science and technology not just in how we live today but for the future; the objective here is not only to use the spirit of innovation that we both as cities have but to use it to invite the incredible imagination of our youth and of our societies to join together on a journey that has no end in it except to improve life for everybody on this planet. This is what I believe is the essence of the purpose of this array of telescopes that are being put together and is why we participate, and why I wanted to come here as the Mayor of San Francisco to participate in this gathering is to make this incredible announcement that has a foundation and a purpose of exciting our youth to use science and allow for discovery The education based initiative illustrates global cooperation at many levels through the sister city relationship between Cork and San Francisco. As Mayor Lee noted, it is a partnership that also promotes societal and cultural understanding and stimulates development between schools, business leaders and industry sponsors in California and Ireland. Indeed Denis Collins, Chairman of the Board, it@cork and Mayor Lee stressed the importance 144 Silicon Valley Global

4 Every dollar we invest in high-quality early education can save more than seven dollars later on. President Barack Obama of collaboration to further grow the Silicon Valley Cluster and European Tech Cluster Alliance. From autumn 2013 there will be SMART STEM pilot programmes with students from three areas: Ormondale Elementary, San Francisco District Schools and Cork schools including through the adopt-a-school programme. This connectivity will see industry and education join together for social growth and achievements. The Cork and Californian students met for the first time at Earth Day April 22 over a NASA Digital Learning Network through the Beautiful Earth programme and the European Space Agency (ESA) EarthRider study. Strong development and delivery of space science education events channelling STEM expertise over 5 years at CIT BCO (including an orbit live link to the International Space Station) will ensure dissemination of inter-agency work with NASA and ESA. Access to the telescopes will be supported with appropriate educational and curriculum materials designed for both the Irish and US/California educational systems. What Next? Next stage development on the software user interface will link classrooms to the telescopes in a way that makes the experience as interactive and rewarding as possible. The wow factor will inspire teamwork, inquiry, discovery and innovation. The size of the array will be increased, adding more telescopes so that more schools can participate more frequently, adding in extra layers of interactivity which additional telescopes provide. Stage three involves securing a second site where the installation of 8-10 telescopes Silicon Valley Global 145

5 Jennifer Warren, Ed.D. Ormondale Principal Wayne Rickert, 3rd Grade Teacher Several Ormondale Stundents Taoiseach, Enda Kenny and championed by the Irish MEP, Sean Kelly. The theme of the conference was Global Challenges Global Cooperation. One of the outcomes of the conference was to recognise the key role astronomy has in global capacity building. Using this medium of astronomy, SMART STEM stimulates debate on educational, environmental, societal and economic issues that are of local and global concern to share the benefits of space with humankind. Jennifer Warren, Ed.D. Ormondale Principal Denise Tormey, President & Co-Founder PlanNet21 Inc. positions the SMART telescope network under a single roll-off roof. This is the most cost-effective way to house a network of telescopes. It provides the easiest maintenance regime and has the added advantage of being visually impressive. Endorsement of the importance of astronomy is not hard to find at the highest political levels. The role of astronomy in inspiring young people was endorsed recently by the largest conference organised as part of Ireland s Presidency of the EU which was held in Brussels 4th-8th March The conference was addressed by the Irish To hear more about how you can help, donate or support the development of the SMART STEM concept contact Clair McSweeney, Centre Manager, CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory, Blackrock, Cork, Ireland. T: +353 (0) Skype: blackrockcastle / / FaceBook: Blackrock Castle Observatory 146 Silicon Valley Global