Date: April 5, 2017
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National Park Service
Homestead National Monument of America
8523 W. State Hwy 4
Beatrice, NE 68310
402-223-3514 phone
402-228-4231 fax
www.nps.gov/home
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National Park Service News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –April 5, 2017
Susan Cook 402-223-3514
Alison Grand, Grand Communications (for Ready Jet Go!/ Wind Dancer Films)
212-584-1133; alison@grandcommunications.com
PBS KIDS’ Ready Jet Go! Joins Homestead National Monument of America this Summer to
Explore the Solar Eclipse
Special celebration for families will feature NASA scientist and series consultant Dr. Amy Mainzer, creator Craig Bartlett and his Ready Jet Go! Band and star of the out-of-this-world animated hit, Jet Propulsion!
Ready Jet Go!, the hit animated STEM series from Wind Dancer Films airing nationwide on PBS KIDS, will shoot for the stars with a fun and informative science and astronomy program about the solar eclipse at the Homestead National Monument of America, Sunday, August 20. Perfect for visitors of all ages, the event will feature special demonstrations by Ready Jet Go! science curriculum consultant, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory astrophysicist Dr. Amy Mainzer, as well as a performance by Ready Jet Go! creator Craig Bartlett and series composer Jim Lang’s Ready Jet Go! Band. Dete Meserve, Executive Producer of the popular series and principal of Wind Dancer Films, will join Ready Jet Go! team members for a Q&A and autograph session immediately following the program. Series’ star, Jet Propulsion, will also be on hand to meet young fans.
The eclipse-themed fun continues on Monday, August 21, when the Ready Jet Go! team helps lead guests through all 90 minutes of eclipse phases. Activities will include engaging demonstrations, a Q&A with Dr. Amy Mainzer, catchy songs from the series, a countdown to Eclipse Totality, and explanations of what to look, feel, and listen for as the shadow of the solar eclipse descends over Homestead.
“We look forward to hosting the Ready Jet Go! team and Dr. Amy Mainzer at Homestead National Monument of America,” said Mark Engler, Homestead National Monument of America Superintendent. “We have been told that Totality will be something very special; one of nature’s greatest spectacles. We are excited Dr. Mainzer will be leading us in the steps to safely view this phenomenon. It will be a fun, educational weekend, one that many people will remember for a lifetime!”
“Ready Jet Go!’s mission is to inspire and nurture a lifelong love of space and science learning among today’s kids, building on their natural curiosity about astronomy, science and technology,” said Meserve. “We are delighted to be joining the Homestead National Monument of America team in exploring the amazing upcoming solar eclipse with visitors and their families in such an immersive and entertaining way.”
Special acknowledgement to the Friends of Homestead and the Hevelone Foundation for their part in making this program possible.
About Ready Jet Go!
Ready Jet Go! follows Jet Propulsion, the new kid in town who also happens to be an alien from outer space. Along with his Earthling friends Sean and Sydney, Jet goes on intergalactic explorations through the solar system, finding out about our planet and the environment – as well as friendship and teamwork – along the way. Each episode of Ready Jet Go! poses a question about outer space or Earth science and Jet and his fellow explorers must use scientific thinking skills and inquiry practices to discover the answers. The series’ trademark humor, catchy tunes and digital games make the learning even more fun and effective.
Ready Jet Go! is produced by Wind Dancer Films and funded in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the U.S. Department of Education through the CPB-PBS Ready To Learn Initiative, a program that supports the development of innovative educational television and digital media targeted to preschool and early elementary school children and their families, especially those from low-income communities.
About the Ready Jet Go! Team
Science Curriculum Consultant Dr. Amy Mainzer is an astrophysicist with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and star of the interstitials featured in each episode of Ready Jet Go!. She is also an astronomer and Deputy Project Scientist for the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer and the Principal Investigator to study minor planets and the proposed Near Earth Object Camera space telescope mission. Mainzer spends her time searching the universe for signs of life.
Creator and Executive Producer Craig Bartlett is the creative mind behind two of the most beloved shows for kids today – Hey Arnold! and Dinosaur Train. He created his latest series, Ready Jet Go!, with the mission of helping to make space and Earth science education “take off” with today’s kids (and their parents). In 2005, Bartlett produced a multimedia simulator attraction for NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, called the Shuttle Launch Experience.
Executive Producer Dete Meserve is a Principal of Wind Dancer Films. Based in Los Angeles, Meserve oversees worldwide business and creative activities for the company. In addition to the critically-acclaimed Ready Jet Go!, she has produced numerous films as well as served as Executive Producer for television projects, including Saint George starring George Lopez and Wildest Africa for Discovery International. Meserve is also the author of the award-winning bestseller Good Sam, which Wind Dancer is adapting for an upcoming film on The Hallmark Channel in partnership with Muse Entertainment.
About Wind Dancer Films
Wind Dancer Films created and produced successful television series such as Home Improvement and Roseanne, along with box office successes such as What Women Want and Bernie. Founded by series creators Matt Williams and David McFadzean, and later joined by principal, Dete Meserve, Wind Dancer Films has produced hundreds of hours of comedies and family projects for film and television. www.WindDancer.com
About the Homestead National Monument of America
Homestead National Monument of America has an exciting schedule of events planned for 2017. Keep up with the latest information by following us on our website at www.nps.gov/home, Twitter (HomesteadNM), Facebook (HomesteadNM) and Instagram (HomesteadNPS).
Homestead National Monument of America is a unit of the National Park Service located four miles west of Beatrice, Nebraska and 45 miles south of Lincoln. Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free. For additional information, please call 402-223-3514 or visit https://www.nps.gov/home/.
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