Testimonial on an Observatory Project (Real Learning Can Happen Anywhere!)

“I always held a deep interest in Astronomy, but what I discovered while at the Observatory was my passion for and love of critical and out-of-the box strategic thinking and leadership. And that the greater the idea, project and best intentions, the more of a thorough and adaptable execution plan you need that can be broken up into bite sized pieces that people can run with and take ownership of. For example during the “Evolving New Ideas” event [for the Michigan Science Teachers Association at the Renaissance Ballroom in 1997 and for National in 1998] while volunteers may have wanted to setup technical infrastructure or interact with animals, the Zoo may have been seeking exposure and funding, while the school district had to show tangible value and sustainability and from the Observatory’s perspective, we were interested in the scalability of this model nationwide. You have to account for all of that plus possible conflicts of interest and the unexpected. ”

— Daniel Pesserl, Risk Operations Manager at Microsoft & Former Director of Technology at the McMath Hulbert Solar Observatory (from ages 17-25)