Science focus brings planetarium to front

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The planetarium has taken on new life in the last few years.

By LAURE CIOFFI

VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA BUREAU

FARRELL, Pa. — It doesn't have to be dark for the stars to come out at Farrell Area High School.

That's because the school has one of the few remaining high school planetariums in the region.

The 60-seat planetarium with a 30-foot dome boasts more than 100 pieces of equipment. It's considered a "mini" planetarium when compared to the 40-foot dome planetarium at Youngstown State University or the 50-foot dome planetarium at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh.

"It's just been a really wonderful part of the school district," said Carole Borkowski, the school district's interim superintendent.

Farrell built its planetarium close to 40 years ago when state education officials started tapping into federal funding and encouraged new buildings to include planetariums and observatories.

The money flowed freely because federal officials wanted to beef up science education programs after the 1957 launch of the Russian satellite Sputnik. Close to 400 planetariums were built in Pennsylvania schools. But few are still operational since funding dried up.

Farrell officials credit the success of their planetarium to Ted Pedas, for whom it was named in 1993.

The Pedas connection

Pedas, 68, a Farrell native, is retired, but continues to fund the planetarium and other philanthropic interests in the district.

Pedas, who wrote a weekly column in The Vindicator from 1964 to 1999, was the planetarium director at YSU when Farrell officials asked him to direct the high school planetarium in 1968.

Even in his early years, Pedas donated more than one-third of his Farrell salary back to the school district for the planetarium's upkeep. He continues to make yearly donations and has contributed more than $505,000 in the last 38 years.

Teaching was only one of Pedas' ventures. In the 1970s, he started offering educational cruises, at first to catch eclipses, but later to observe other natural wonders.

Famed astronaut Neil Armstrong and scientist Isaac Asimov are among those who participated over the years in his sea voyages.

But it's Farrell and the planetarium that are Pedas' first love.

"My feeling is the planetarium is motivational [to the students]. They can then go out into the night and contemplate where they are in relation to the rest of the world," he said.

One of his most rewarding moments was getting mail from former pupils who were serving in the military during the first Gulf War.

"They said, 'We've never seen such beautiful skies. Please send maps for this latitude,'" Pedas said.

Brother's interest

Pedas' love for the stars and space also influenced his own family. Younger brother George returned from the armed services to work at Sharon Steel Corp. But when Pedas became director of Farrell's planetarium, he urged George to come and help maintain the equipment.

George Pedas, now 65, said he became so interested in science that he went to college and became a science teacher. He retired last year as Farrell's technical education director.

Both brothers now donate their time to the planetarium.

Administrators say over the years, Ted Pedas denied no one access to the planetarium, offering instruction for all grades including those in special education. Yearly programs for the community were offered regularly, too.

But for three years after Pedas' formal retirement in 2001, the planetarium went largely unused but was still maintained by his brother. Some renovations were done during that time.

What changed

It was only in the last two years that administrators started pushing to integrate the planetarium into lessons for all grades, and Pedas and the district were also able to secure the services of Sharon Shanks, YSU's planetarium director, to teach at Farrell as well.

Borkowski said it's not only been useful in science courses, but one fourth-grade class used it last school year when reading "The Drinking Gourd: A Story of the Underground Railroad," where escaped slaves used the stars to find their way to freedom.

"We use the planetarium and then we use hands-on science. The kids have been thrilled," she said of the new science curriculum.

Science education has taken on an even greater role in the district in the last few years because this year marks the first time state testing will measure science skills.

"It's making an impression on the students," Borkowski said. "Just to be able to go out and look at the stars. Now they see meaning and how it's connected to science."

Shanks too sees the opportunities for learning beyond astronomy.

"It's also the inspiration for art and can be used for writing prompts," she said.

But Shanks said one of the biggest perks she's found at the Ted Pedas Planetarium is the hugs the younger pupils will give her after being excited about a planetarium presentation.

"I just really enjoy working with the kids," she said.

cioffi@vindy.com

Sunday, September 16, 2007