KEY Academy

Upcoming Opportunities

Prepare for the first total solar eclipse visible in north central Indiana in more than 200 years with the KEY Academy!

Patrick Motl, professor of physics and resident astronomy expert, will lead Dark as Dusk, a series of events leading up to and culminating in the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.

Register for full series

Participants can register for the entire series of events for $140, or for individual sessions. Tickets for the February 26 dinner and event are $50 – all other sessions are $25 per experience. Sessions will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. in Kresge Auditorium unless otherwise noted.

Topics include:

  • Monday, February 12: “What is an eclipse, and what to expect in totality.” 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. ($25) Register
  • Monday, February 26: An evening with Phil Plait, author of The Bad Astronomer newsletter. The evening will begin with dinner at 5:30 p.m., followed by a presentation at 7 p.m. ($50) Register
  • Monday, March 11: Eclipse photography, videography, and citizen science projects. Learn from experts how to safely capture images from the eclipse. ($25) Register
  • Monday, March 25: “Multicultural perspectives on eclipses.” Participants will consider eclipses through the beliefs of cultures including Native Americans, and through the lens of the sciences, arts, and history. ($25) Register
  • Monday, April 8: KEY Academy reception. The reception will begin at 1:30 p.m. at the Kelley House, followed by eclipse viewing with Motl, either at the IU Kokomo Observatory, or in Kresge Auditorium. ($25) Register

Past Opportunities

Get an up-close look at Indiana’s birds with IU Kokomo’s KEY Academy! Sessions will be led by Lina Rifai, associate professor of vertebrate biology and IU Kokomo’s resident ornithology expert! This two-day program will explore bird species from hummingbirds to raptors.

On August 12, you’ll board a bus at IU Kokomo to the Indiana Raptor Center in Nashville, IN, where you will meet and learn about raptors close up, as well as the work done by the raptor center.

On August 19, get close to songbirds and hummingbirds as Lina Rifai demonstrates how birds are banded for research. This session is at the height of the hummingbird migration, when it is most likely to see the state’s smallest birds on campus. 

Travel to IU Bloomington to attend an opera lecture at the Jacobs School of Music, and enjoy a performance of the operetta, Candide with philosophy faculty member Chris Buckman. A 40-seat bus has been scheduled, with 20 seats available for Community First Journey Club members, IU Kokomo alumni, and community members at $75 each. The remaining seats are reserved for students, faculty, and staff.

  • The bus will depart campus at 2:45 p.m.
  • Dinner will take place in Bloomington at 5 p.m.
  • The Jacobs School of Music lecture will begin at 6:30 p.m.
  • The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m.
  • The bus will return to campus by 11:30 p.m.

Travel to IU Bloomington to take in the touring Broadway production of Jagged Little Pill, inspired by the music of Alanis Morissette, led by English department faculty Michelle Westervelt and Jim Coby. A 40-seat bus has been scheduled, with 25 seats available for Community First Journey Club members, IU Kokomo alumni, and community members at $100 each. The remaining seats are reserved for our students at $20 each.

  • The bus will depart campus at 3:45 p.m.
  • Dinner will take place in Bloomington at 6 p.m.
  • The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m.
  • The bus will return to campus by 11:30 p.m.

Travel to IU Bloomington to attend an opera lecture at the Jacobs School of Music, as well as a performance of the opera Anne Frank with history faculty Sarah Heath. A 40-seat bus has been scheduled, with 28 seats available for Community First Journey Club members, IU Kokomo alumni, and community members at $75 each. The remaining seats are reserved for our students.

  • The bus will depart campus at 2:45 p.m.
  • Dinner will take place in Bloomington at 5 p.m.
  • The Jacobs School of Music lecture will begin at 6:30 p.m.
  • Anne Frank will begin at 7:30 p.m.
  • The bus will return to campus by 11:30 p.m.

Travel to Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis with Spanish faculty Christine Taff and JR Pico to enjoy Ballet Hispanico. A 40-seat bus has been scheduled, with 10 seats open for Community First Journey Club members, IU Kokomo alumni, and community members at $40 each (the event is free). The remaining seats are reserved for our students.

  • The bus will depart campus at 11:45 a.m.
  • Ballet Hispanico and other activities will last from 1 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
  • Dinner will take place at 6 p.m.
  • The bus will return to campus by 8:30 p.m.

Travel to Indiana University Bloomington with IU Kokomo Spanish faculty Christine Taff and JR Pico to attend an opera lecture at the Jacobs School of Music, as well as a performance of the opera, Ainadamar. A 40-seat bus has been scheduled, with 25 seats open for Community First Journey Club Members, IU Kokomo alumni, and community members at $75 each. The remaining seats are reserved for students.

  • The bus will depart campus at 2:45 p.m.
  • Attendees will eat a meal in Bloomington at 5 p.m.
  • The Jacobs School of Music lecture will begin at 6:30 p.m.
  • Ainadamar will begin at 7:30 p.m.
  • The bus will return to campus at 11:30 p.m.