After being shuttered for 30 years, the planetarium at Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School will open this year to teach students about space careers.
The planetarium will be part of the new SpaceHUB aerospace mega-magnet program. Courses in new, state of the art classrooms will include applied engineering, robotics, systems coding, electrical systems and advanced aerospace science and design.
“We’re set to start with the first group [of students] in August 2025,” said Michelle Simon, Social Studies department chair.
The planetarium was built in 1978 and needed to be fully rebuilt.
The state’s Department of Education awarded $8.3 million to Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and about $3 million from that will establish HMLs’ program, according to a school district press release.
Simon said there are about 50 applicants; incoming freshmen can apply until Jan. 15. Those who are accepted will be notified in March.
There is no grade point average requirement, but future students may need to meet certain criteria to be considered, Simon said.
The program is offered in partnership with Space Florida Academy, part of the state’s aerospace economic development authority.
Graduates will be able to earn certifications to work in the aerospace industry or continue to college.
“We have internships,” Simon said. “We’re going to be working at [Miami-] Opa Locka [Executive] Airport in our own backyard.”
For students who wish to earn a bachelor’s degree in aerospace sciences, Simon said, “There is a partnership with the state universities, Lockheed Martin, Blue Origin … there is going to be multiple avenues for them.”
The state schools include Florida International University’s College of Engineering; the University of Florida, University of Central Florida and University of South Florida.
SpaceHUB will become one of the specialties offered at HML, along with digital media, entrepreneurship and legal studies. The law academy will also have a new courtroom and special classrooms. For more information visit https://bit.ly/3DHVPFu.