MacLaren Society

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At Thomas MacLaren School, we believe that all human beings can know truth, create beauty, and practice goodness. The MacLaren Society is dedicated to bringing this pursuit to the broader Colorado Springs community through the lenses of the humanities, the sciences, and the arts.
MacLaren Society events are free of charge, open to the public, and for adults and Thomas MacLaren 11th and 12th grade students only.

For more information, please contact Joy Oram.

The sun is having a year!  From the annular eclipse in October 2023 to the total Eclipse in April 2024 to the Parker Probe reaching the sun in December 2024, NASA is celebrating Heliophysics Big Year. This is a year to explore solar science and the sun’s influence on the earth and on our human existence across all disciplines. Come hear how the dynamic sun has shaped our past, is driving change in the present, and how it may affect our future.

Dara Gardner, the evening’s speaker, is a local science teacher and an Eclipse Ambassador through NASA-partner Astronomy Society of the Pacific. She trained in the Willard W. Smith Planetarium at Pacific Science Center in Seattle, where she worked for ten years. She has a BS from Texas A&M University in Biology, and an MEd in Natural Science/ Science Education from Western Washington University.

Attendees must RSVP online to reserve your seats for this event. With limited seating in the Planetarium, please only reserve seats if you know you will be attending. If you RSVP and your plans change for any reason, please email the Planetarium Director at [email protected] so we can release your seats.

Link to register for Heliophysics Big Year


Prior Events:

Historic Home Tour: Architecture of Thomas MacLaren
Explore the residential architecture of Thomas MacLaren through a brief presentation and a guided walking tour in the Old North End Neighborhood of Colorado Springs.

The Extinction of the Dinosaurs and the Rise of the Mammals
Guest speaker Dr. Tyler Lyson, a curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science

Cosmic Ripples
Guest speaker Mr. Cole Hensley, Thomas MacLaren Upper School Faculty

Dante's World: Early Music
Featuring Dr. Michael Grace and musicians of the Collegium Musicum

Dante's World II: The Logic of Hell
Susan Ashley, professor of History at Colorado College, will present a lecture and Q&A on Florence, Italy, during the time of Dante.

Dante's World I: Dante and the Origin of the Modern World
This exciting and compelling keynote conversation is hosted by Dr. Tim Fuller and Dr. Carol Neel, two members of the Thomas MacLaren School Board. They are both professors at Colorado College, specializing in Political Science and History, respectively.

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