Applications Invited for AAS Astronomy Ambassadors Workshop
Richard Fienberg AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force
Our fifth annual AAS Astronomy Ambassadors workshop will be held in conjunction with the 229th AAS meeting in Grapevine, Texas, on Tuesday & Wednesday, 3 & 4 January 2017. Applications are due on Monday, 17 October 2016.
The Astronomy Ambassadors program is designed to support early-career AAS members with training in resources and techniques for effective outreach to K-12 students, families, and the public. Workshop participants will learn to communicate more effectively with public and school audiences; find outreach opportunities and establish ongoing partnerships with local schools, museums, parks, and/or community centers; reach audiences with personal stories, hands-on activities, and jargon-free language; identify strategies and techniques to improve their presentation skills; gain access to a menu of outreach resources that work in a variety of settings; and become part of an active community of astronomers who do outreach.
Among many other topics, we will discuss the opportunity for astronomy education and outreach represented by the
Participation in the program includes a few hours of pre-workshop online activities to help us get to know your needs; the two-day workshop, for which lunches and one night's lodging will be provided; and certification as an AAS Astronomy Ambassador, once you have logged three successful outreach events. The workshop includes presenters from the American Astronomical Society, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, and the Pacific Science Center. The number of participants is limited, and the application requires consent from your department chair.
We invite applications from graduate students, postdocs and new faculty in their first two years after receipt of their PhD, and advanced undergraduates doing research and committed to continuing in astronomy. Early-career astronomers who are interested in doing outreach, but who haven't done much yet, are encouraged to apply; we will have sessions appropriate for both those who have done some outreach already and those just starting their outreach adventures. We especially encourage applications from members of groups that are presently underrepresented in science.
Note that while there is no registration fee for the workshop itself, you must register for the AAS meeting at the rate appropriate to your AAS membership class.
To apply for the AAS Astronomy Ambassadors workshop, please complete our online application form by Monday, 17 October 2016.