
Key Factors
WoodmenLife (officially WoodmenLife of the World Life Insurance Society) has been helping to protect the financial future of families, making a difference in hometowns across America and honoring our country since 1890. As a not-for-profit life insurance company, WoodmenLife put money back into the community.
The history of the organization includes numerous philanthropic efforts and community outreach projects. In fact, as part of its mission, WoodmenLife is committed to helping to protect the financial futures of its members while “strengthening our communities and country.”
To that end, one of the organization’s key values focuses on service to others and the broader communities, supporting food drives, disaster recovery, and educational activities. For example, in Virginia, Starlab serves as a key component of their community outreach efforts across the state and supports the organization’s overarching mission to strengthen and inspire communities in an engaging way.
Enriching Communities Across Virginia with STEM
WoodmenLife’s primary goal was to enrich the community and, in the process, expand access to new learning opportunities and inspire interest in STEM across the state. They use Starlab in a variety of ways, including use at schools for teacher appreciation days, PTA meetings, after-school events, and field days.
One of the most impactful ways WoodmenLife uses Starlab is to expand access to area schools, providing additional enrichment for inner city schools and students who may not have the opportunity to visit planetariums. In addition to exposing students to new technology and more deeply engaging them in key course material, teachers also get a firsthand experience on what it’s like to use the tool, and the power it has to deepen learning.
By bringing Starlab into these schools, students are fully immersed in a learning experience that can deepen their understanding of the world around them, build growing interest in STEM-related disciplines, and expand scientific literacy across its student population.
Prior to bringing in Starlab, WoodmenLife coordinates with teachers ahead of time to ensure the NGSS standards-aligned curriculum and lessons apply appropriately across grade levels. Using provided scripts, WoodmenLife can more easily create an interactive learning experience for students that brings hard-to-understand concepts to life.
“We want to find engaging, fun ways for students to participate in science instruction and Starlab is one of the ways we do that—it’s very engaging and fun, especially for younger students,” says Marla.
As a result, students can more easily visualize and understand many complex concepts around space and astronomy, which often remain nebulous. WoodmenLife has been able to reach thousands of students, parents, educators, and community members across Virginia–expanding their understanding and appreciation for STEM.
Purchased initially more than 10 years ago, Starlab has proven to have such far-ranging uses and widespread benefits for so many members of the broader community that it now remains a key component of WoodmenLife’s I community outreach and educational programming.
See where Starlab is currently being used
Bringing Fun AND Educational Together in Napa County’s Expanded Learning Programs


Fostering an Immersive STEM Learning Experience for Elementary Students at Danbury Public Schools


Expanding Access to Immersive Learning Experiences for Students & Families Across Spartanburg, South Carolina


Stockton Unified School District
Creating an Immersive Learning Experience for Stockton Unified School District Students


Fairmont State University’s NASA Educator Resource Center
Creating an Immersive Learning Experience at Fairmont State University’s NASA Educator Resource Center

