Observatories at the Extreme Chilean Telescopes
Abstract for the conference program
The Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassadors Program (ACEAP) is a program that brings amateur astronomers, planetarium personnel, and K-16 formal and informal astronomy educators to US astronomy facilities in Chile. The ambassadors visit Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), Gemini-South Observatory, and the Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array (ALMA) along with smaller tourist observatories. The ambassadors also participate in local school outreach. The program is funded by the National Science Foundation. In 2016, nine ambassadors were chosen from across the United States to travel to Chile and learn about the observatories, researchers, and science being conducted. The image to the right is of me with my fellow ambassadors.
One of the best components of ACEAP is interacting with local schools. We visited two schools in the San Pedro region. This gave us an opportunity to listen to student presentations and to engage in small group discussion.
The Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassadors Program is one of the best professional development activities I have done. It was supported by my colleagues, STEM community, and professional learning networks. Participation in the program increased my understanding of Chilean observatories and current astronomical discoveries. The outreach also extends to the NASA Solar System Ambassadors Program. The goal is to gain a better understanding of celestial objects, and participate in unique astronomy events.
Observatories at the Extreme Chilean Telescopes
The Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassadors Program (ACEAP) is a program that brings amateur astronomers, planetarium personnel, and K-16 formal and informal astronomy educators to US astronomy facilities in Chile. The ambassadors visit Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), Gemini-South Observatory, and the Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array (ALMA) along with smaller tourist observatories. The ambassadors also participate in local school outreach. The program is funded by the National Science Foundation. In 2016, nine ambassadors were chosen from across the United States to travel to Chile and learn about the observatories, researchers, and science being conducted. The image to the right is of me with my fellow ambassadors.
One of the best components of ACEAP is interacting with local schools. We visited two schools in the San Pedro region. This gave us an opportunity to listen to student presentations and to engage in small group discussion.
The Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassadors Program is one of the best professional development activities I have done. It was supported by my colleagues, STEM community, and professional learning networks. Participation in the program increased my understanding of Chilean observatories and current astronomical discoveries. The outreach also extends to the NASA Solar System Ambassadors Program. The goal is to gain a better understanding of celestial objects, and participate in unique astronomy events.
