Upcoming Workshops
Below you will find information about our upcoming workshops and how to apply to participate in them. To receive notification of other future opportunities, please sign up here. Contact afgu {at} astrosociety.org with any questions about the workshops or how to apply.
- Partners in Public Engagement: Solar Astronomy Workshop for Park Interpreters, Educators, and Amateur Astronomers, November 30 & December 1, 2012
- Sky Rangers Online Workshop for Outdoor Astronomy Interpretation, January 21 - March 15, 2013
Partners in Public Engagement: Solar Astronomy Workshop for Park Interpreters, Educators, and Amateur Astronomers
San Francisco Bay Area
Friday, November 30 at Redwood Regional Park, Oakland, CA
Saturday, December 1 at Space Sciences Laboratory, UC Berkeley
Sorry, we are no longer accepting applications for this workshop.
Are you a park interpreter or naturalist who wants to bring more astronomy to your park visitors? Or an amateur astronomer who wants to make your outreach events even more engaging using tips and tricks from professional interpreters? Park interpreters have the training and skills for communicating to the public and access to wide open skies, and amateur astronomers have the necessary astronomy knowledge, observing expertise, and equipment. Come to this free two-day pilot workshop to share best practices with local amateur astronomers and park interpreters and learn about partnering with each other. Each participant will receive a free toolkit of hands-on activities and demos related to daytime solar observing and interpreting the Sun, and will learn about how to best use the materials during the workshop. The toolkit and workshop are entirely free of charge, sponsored by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, UC Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory, NAI Region 9, and the East Bay Regional Park District. We simply ask that participants commit to holding at least one Sun-related public program by March 30, 2013 and fill out occasional surveys on the workshop experience and the use of the toolkit materials.
We welcome both existing interpreter-amateur partnerships as well as individuals interested in learning more about the possibilities of such partnerships.
Sorry, we are no longer accepting applications for this workshop.
Questions? Email Pablo at pnelson {at} astrosociety.org
This workshop is collaboration of ASP, SSL, NAI, and the East Bay Regional Park District.
Sky Rangers Online Workshop for Outdoor Astronomy Interpretation
January 21 - March 15, 2013
Application deadline: November 28, 2012
Sky Rangers workshops, which are part of the Astronomy from the Ground Up (AFGU) program, are designed for educators and interpreters from parks, nature centers, and other informal outdoor and environmental educational facilities. This 8-week workshop will get you out under the night sky, build your confidence in locating constellations and planets, and give you the tools to interpret the sky for your audiences. Each participant will also receive a free toolkit of materials for a variety of outdoor astronomy activities, plus an additional Our Magnetic Sun toolkit of activities for interpreting the Sun and leading daytime solar observing programs. See below for eligibility requirements and to read what past participants of this workshop have had to say about the experience.
What You'll Learn
How You'll Learn
Don't worry, this workshop is not about sitting at your computer. The online forums are used as a communication tool, but you will spend most of your time outside, looking up and learning your way around the sky. Along with 25 - 30 other interpreters, you'll experience the following:
Over the course of the workshop you will:
Required Time Commitment
The time commitment is about 3 hours per week for eight weeks. You can fit this time into your schedule however it works best for you, though you should plan to spend a few evenings each week under the sky, and also plan to log into the online forum a few times each week. The only "live" scheduled events are the weekly videochats, at a time to be determined, depending on what time works for the most workshop participants.
Ongoing Support & Resources
The experience doesn't end when the workshop is completed. Following the workshop, we'll provide you with even more opportunities for continued learning at your own pace, including a follow-up session covering the spring and summer skies. You'll join the AFGU online community, consisting of over 700 informal educators and interpreters around the country. You'll be able to interact with these colleagues, as well as research scientists and other experts, and you'll receive news about astronomy education, alerts about upcoming astronomical events, notices of continued online learning opportunities, and updates on newly available resources. By logging your own astronomy programs and activities, you'll also be eligible for monthly drawings for additional free materials.
What You'll Need
Application
All materials must be submitted by November 28, 2012.
Questions? Contact afgu {at} astrosociety.org
Eligibility
To participate in a Sky Rangers workshop, an individual must work or volunteer for a U.S. informal education facility with an outdoor focus (e.g. park, nature center, environmental education facility). For the Magnetic Sun workshop, we will only accept one applicant per institution. If you have multiple widespread sites at your institution (e.g. at a large National Park) and feel you need multiple kits, please let us know and we will consider it on a case-by-case basis.
Questions? Contact afgu {at} astrosociety.org
Sky Rangers workshops and materials are developed and delivered by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS), the National Association for Interpretation (NAI), and the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC), thanks to generous funding from NASA.
What workshop participants have to say about the experience
These quotes are from participants of past Sky Rangers Online Workshops:
I LOVE all the materials AFGU has given me. It helps make the programs so much more interesting and more memorable for the kids.
- Chris Malm, Naturalist, Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, Chantilly, VA
The activities I've received through this program will greatly enhance not only the hands-on activities we're equipped to facilitate, but I myself feel much more confident in actually working with participants under the stars. The Constellation Tour was a great experience that really got me out of my comfort zone - thanks for that!
-Stacy DeVeau, Director, Arizona NASA Educator Resource Center at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, AZ
This workshop has been amazing! I am so excited about all the fabulous resources and ideas that have been shared here and I am looking forward to incorporating these activities into our park programs.
- Jenny Dawn Stucki, Park Naturalist, Snow Canyon State Park, Ivins, UT
This workshop has been outstanding and a lot of fun to participate in! It has given me a lot of ideas on incorporating more astronomy into both the organizations that I work for. … Thanks again to you at AFGU for making everything really understandable and exciting. It really helps me inspire the public.
- Anne Drake, Naturalist, Grass River Natural Area, Bellaire, MI
What I have discovered about this class is even though I enjoy looking at the stars, having assignments makes me get out there and do it. Outside of a structured setting, it's easy to say I'm tired, it's late, it's cold, I don't feel like it tonight, but when there is external motivation like an assignment, then the drive suddenly appears. As it turns out, I am truly thankful for the assignments. I have learned so much and have gained confidence in finding constellations. It's like riding a bike. The learning and practicing of how to do it means I will be able to do it later when the needs arise.
- Steve Petznick, Naturalist, Mosquito Hill Nature Center, New London, WI
Bravo again for all of your and the teams assistance in helping us become better astronomers.
- Stephen Brueggerhoff, Environmental Educator/ Public Programs Manager, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, TX
Sky Rangers Online Workshop for Outdoor Astronomy InterpretationJanuary 21 - March 15, 2013
Application deadline: November 28, 2012
Sky Rangers workshops, which are part of the Astronomy from the Ground Up (AFGU) program, are designed for educators and interpreters from parks, nature centers, and other informal outdoor and environmental educational facilities. This 8-week workshop will get you out under the night sky, build your confidence in locating constellations and planets, and give you the tools to interpret the sky for your audiences. Each participant will also receive a free toolkit of materials for a variety of outdoor astronomy activities, plus an additional Our Magnetic Sun toolkit of activities for interpreting the Sun and leading daytime solar observing programs. See below for eligibility requirements and to read what past participants of this workshop have had to say about the experience.
What You'll Learn
- How to locate stars, constellations, planets, and deep sky objects
- How to interpret those objects and the night sky for your audiences
- How to plan and execute astronomy events
- Scientific and cultural stories of the objects and constellations you observe
How You'll Learn
Don't worry, this workshop is not about sitting at your computer. The online forums are used as a communication tool, but you will spend most of your time outside, looking up and learning your way around the sky. Along with 25 - 30 other interpreters, you'll experience the following:
- Spend a few nights each week under the sky to build your familiarity with the night sky by following our guidance and simple exercises
- Review some brief reading materials and online videos
- Try observations and activities at your place of work using materials from the free Sky Rangers toolkit
- Participate in discussions in an online forum
- "Meet" for phone and online discussions/chats with your fellow participants and the AFGU team
- Learn to use the free Stellarium planetarium software to plan your observing and for back-up in case of clouds
Over the course of the workshop you will:
- Create and present a short constellation tour
- Create a plan for building up an astronomy interpretive program
- Build an inventory of constellations and objects that you can locate and interpret
Required Time Commitment
The time commitment is about 3 hours per week for eight weeks. You can fit this time into your schedule however it works best for you, though you should plan to spend a few evenings each week under the sky, and also plan to log into the online forum a few times each week. The only "live" scheduled events are the weekly videochats, at a time to be determined, depending on what time works for the most workshop participants.
Ongoing Support & Resources
The experience doesn't end when the workshop is completed. Following the workshop, we'll provide you with even more opportunities for continued learning at your own pace, including a follow-up session covering the spring and summer skies. You'll join the AFGU online community, consisting of over 700 informal educators and interpreters around the country. You'll be able to interact with these colleagues, as well as research scientists and other experts, and you'll receive news about astronomy education, alerts about upcoming astronomical events, notices of continued online learning opportunities, and updates on newly available resources. By logging your own astronomy programs and activities, you'll also be eligible for monthly drawings for additional free materials.
What You'll Need
- A completed application (including the required Institutional Endorsement Form)
- A location away from lights, with a clear view of the sky, where you can spend about 20 minutes looking at the night sky a few times each week
- The ability to try/implement new astronomy programming at your institution
- A high-speed Internet connection and computer speakers so you can participate in live videochats
- 3 hours per week (does not need to be a single block of time)
Application
- Download the sample application and use it to gather all the necessary data and compose your answers. (We will accept online applications only -- NO paper applications -- this is just for your convenience in gathering info before filling out the online application.)
- Have a supervisor or director sign and return the Institutional Endorsement Form.
- Complete the online application:
All materials must be submitted by November 28, 2012.
Questions? Contact afgu {at} astrosociety.org
Eligibility
To participate in a Sky Rangers workshop, an individual must work or volunteer for a U.S. informal education facility with an outdoor focus (e.g. park, nature center, environmental education facility). For the Magnetic Sun workshop, we will only accept one applicant per institution. If you have multiple widespread sites at your institution (e.g. at a large National Park) and feel you need multiple kits, please let us know and we will consider it on a case-by-case basis.
Questions? Contact afgu {at} astrosociety.org
Sky Rangers workshops and materials are developed and delivered by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS), the National Association for Interpretation (NAI), and the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC), thanks to generous funding from NASA.
What workshop participants have to say about the experience
These quotes are from participants of past Sky Rangers Online Workshops:
I LOVE all the materials AFGU has given me. It helps make the programs so much more interesting and more memorable for the kids.
- Chris Malm, Naturalist, Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, Chantilly, VA
The activities I've received through this program will greatly enhance not only the hands-on activities we're equipped to facilitate, but I myself feel much more confident in actually working with participants under the stars. The Constellation Tour was a great experience that really got me out of my comfort zone - thanks for that!
-Stacy DeVeau, Director, Arizona NASA Educator Resource Center at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, AZ
This workshop has been amazing! I am so excited about all the fabulous resources and ideas that have been shared here and I am looking forward to incorporating these activities into our park programs.
- Jenny Dawn Stucki, Park Naturalist, Snow Canyon State Park, Ivins, UT
This workshop has been outstanding and a lot of fun to participate in! It has given me a lot of ideas on incorporating more astronomy into both the organizations that I work for. … Thanks again to you at AFGU for making everything really understandable and exciting. It really helps me inspire the public.
- Anne Drake, Naturalist, Grass River Natural Area, Bellaire, MI
What I have discovered about this class is even though I enjoy looking at the stars, having assignments makes me get out there and do it. Outside of a structured setting, it's easy to say I'm tired, it's late, it's cold, I don't feel like it tonight, but when there is external motivation like an assignment, then the drive suddenly appears. As it turns out, I am truly thankful for the assignments. I have learned so much and have gained confidence in finding constellations. It's like riding a bike. The learning and practicing of how to do it means I will be able to do it later when the needs arise.
- Steve Petznick, Naturalist, Mosquito Hill Nature Center, New London, WI
Bravo again for all of your and the teams assistance in helping us become better astronomers.
- Stephen Brueggerhoff, Environmental Educator/ Public Programs Manager, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, TX
Last modified: Tuesday, November 13, 2012, 01:07 PM
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