In the Community

Big Apple Meets Southern Cross

In July 2024, Kat Troche, ASP’s Administrator, NASA Night Sky Network​, joined the 2023 Cohort for the Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassadors Program (ACEAP) for a 10-day expedition to Chile, visiting various observatories such as CTIO, Rubin, Gemini, and ALMA. ACEAP is a collaborative initiative supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) that brings amateur astronomers, planetarium personnel, and K-16 formal and informal astronomy educators to U.S. astronomy facilities in Chile. Participants receive extensive training about the instruments, science, data products, and effective STEM communication strategies. Upon returning to their communities, Ambassadors share their experiences and resources with schools and public groups across the United States. ALMA Observatory, AUI, AURA, NSF NOIRLab, and NRAO also support the ACEAP program.

Tipis and Telescopes in Canada

In October 2024, Vivian White, ASP’s Director of Free Choice Learning, spent a weekend outside Toronto at Tipis and Telescopes, hosted by Wilfred Buck and the First Nations teams of the Ontario and Peel school systems. She brought telescopes and binoculars to the evenings spent learning from Indigenous astronomers from around the globe.

Vivian White, Director of Free Choice Learning at the ASP, shares her experience at Tipis and Telescopes

What brought you to this event?

I first met educator Jodie Williams, Co-Chair for the First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education Association of Ontario, Canada in 2023 when she invited me to teach astronomy in some Anishinaabe First Nations Schools above the Great Lakes. Then she invited me back to bring a telescope to this very special event.

What is Tipis and Telescopes?

Tipis and Telescopes are included as part of Indigenous gatherings across the continent. They include the telling of Indigenous sky knowledge by respected elders, in this case Cree astronomer Wilfred Buck. I was thrilled to bring telescopes and binoculars for visitors to use. 

Wilfred Buck has been sharing Indigenous star knowledge for a long time. What did
you experience?

The event showcased the depth of sky knowledge that is integrated into First Nations understanding of the world and our place in it. They illustrated old stories answering the same questions that Western science addresses - where do we come from, who do we share the universe with, and where are we going? 

Astronomy on the Mall

ASP Staffers, Kat Troche and Shanil Virani shared programs from the ASP at last summer’s Astronomy on the Mall in Washington D.C., organized by Hofstra University and the Smithsonian and held inside the Smithsonian Arts + Industries Building. 

Several thousand strolled throughout the day learning about astronomy programs from a diverse number of organizations participating in Solstice Saturday, one of the largest festivals in the country.

STEM Fair in Oakland

Pablo Nelson and Vivian White, of the ASP, hosted an ASP booth at the 4th annual Kits Cubed STEM Fair. The free, popular Oakland event for families was attended by thousands of local students. Children enjoyed solar glasses, the Sunspotter and a solar telescope, UV beads, and more!

Outreach in Hot Springs, Arkansas

ASP Educator, Theresa Summer, attended and represented the ASP at a public outreach event for the total eclipse in Hot Springs, Arkansas, last April 2024 preceding the Total Solar Eclipse. Over 10,000 attended over 30 community events in 6 days planned by the Earth to Sky Interagency Partnership. This outreach team, comprised of members from across NASA, NOAA, and the National Park Service (NPS), was invited to be on site for the eclipse and provided exemplary service to the public and NASA and created a one of a kind experience for the citizens in Arkansas and visitors from around the world. To top it off, they received the Robert H. Goddard Honor Award for exceptional planning and execution of outreach programming during the total eclipse in Hot Springs, Arkansas.