Computer science widening the STEM education spectrum

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education is slowly becoming an important part of American culture. STEM educators try to promote `hands on´ science, where students can actually interact with and see the results of their work. Unfortunately, not all paths of education for STEM related fields can have exciting, interactive teaching methods. At the Millard Oakley STEM Center, we have taken advantage of the interactive experience in our planetarium show. In this paper, we take an in-depth look at the Definiti Theater System and the software that runs it, Digital Sky 2. This software package is created by Sky-Skan and is considered to be the standard for many new planetariums across the country and beyond. We take the software in new directions by building new elements through the Sky-Skan scripting engine and by also exploring its 3D engine for creating a novel experience. The primary purpose of this paper is to provide a roadmap of observations and enhancements for other educators that wish to improve the learning experience of students and visitors to their planetarium.