Sarasota’s Riverview High School Opens Planetarium

Riverview High School (RHS) at One Ram Way on the corner of Proctor Road and Lords Avenue in Sarasota recently opened a science center and planetarium, which it hopes will benefit not only its students, but those at other schools.and the larger Tampa Bay community.”It’s a one-of-a-kind learning facility that allows us to present information and educate people in a very unique way,” says Jason Mocherman, planetarium director and astronomy teacher at RHS. “There’s a lot you can do with it. It’s an immersive theater and anything you can create on a computer we can create in the planetarium.”The planetarium is the largest of its kind in a public school in Florida and replaces the one that has been on campus since 1969. The Science Center features a digital projection system, dynamic lighting, a digital surround-sound audio system and planetarium-style seating. The planetarium and science center were built and furnished for roughly $1.4 million. Approximately $380,000 was contributed by the Riverview High School Foundation, a private organization that helps support RHS.”We’re looking to maximize its potential, says Mocherman. “It’s on a school campus, so the high school will benefit immediately. But so will elementary schools. Making the planetarium available in the evening will allow us to maximize and impact the community.”A nominal fee may be charged to the general public for special evening programs.Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Jason Mocherman, Riverview High School