The Broader Impact of NRAOThe Broader Impact of NRAO

Goal: To increase appreciation for Radio Goal: To increase appreciation for Radio Astronomy, and the NRAO locally, regionally, Astronomy, and the NRAO locally, regionally, nationally.nationally.

•Scientific literacyScientific literacy•Encourage STEM CareersEncourage STEM Careers•Science is accessible, and funScience is accessible, and fun

Students WV Governor's School WV EPSCoR (2005-present) 60 students/year

Field Trips, Institutes free 3500 in 2008, 2400 used the 40 Foot

High School Mentorship free ~40 high school students

REU NSF 25 undergrads since 1991, many more!

PSC NSF 90 students in summer, 1800 total impact

Public Tour Program marketing funds WV Tourism ~48,000 in 2008

StarQuest Star Party Fees ~150/year (2004-present)

Society of Amateur Radio Ast. Space is Free ~60/year (1985-present)

Outreach Mountain Radio Astronomy show produced by NRAO ( 2004-2007) reaches 10,000 people, plus podcast

Quiet Skies NASA IDEAS grant 600+ students per year

NRAO Ambassadors-IBT SARA, NRAO (2006-present) 1400+/year

Cosmic Radio Show Corp. of Public Broadcasting ? offered nationally, NRAO website

GBT control room webcasts EG: Clay Center planetarium 400 kids/year

IYA 365 Days of Astronomy podcasts NRAO plus guests

Around the World in 80 webcast

NEW

pending.. Radio Skynet NSF (UNC led) MRI proposal public use of 20 meter telescope

Teacher ProgramsTeacher Programs

• Core experience: Scientific Research on the 40 Ft. telescope.

• Team research/NRAO scientist mentors

• Astronomy content

• Research talks

• In-depth tours

• Classroom application

• Proven to change teacher practices in the classroom.

Student ProgramsStudent Programs• Overnight (or longer) field trips• Extended tours• 2000 students have used the 40 Foot telescope over

the past 12 months.• Grade School to Grad School

West Virginia Governor’s SchoolWest Virginia Governor’s School

Goal: to encourage students’ interest in STEM careersbefore they enter high school.

60 rising freshman/year.

Public Public ProgramsPrograms

•Tour Program•Star Quest•SARA

… good to the last drop

Virginia…

… I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.

Brylcream…

…NRAO???

Public RelationsPublic Relations

Quiet SkiesQuiet Skies

Students will:

• Measure interference levels at schools and in communities;

• Reduce and transmit data to an NRAO data base;

• Debate how the spectrum should be allocated.

Goal: to promote student aware-Goal: to promote student aware-ness of radio astronomy and radio ness of radio astronomy and radio frequency interference through an frequency interference through an inquiry-based research project. inquiry-based research project.

Quiet Skies Detector

North America at Night

NRAO NavigatorsNRAO NavigatorsGoal: to train outreach volunteers to spread the word about radio astronomy and NRAO.

Navigator David Fields with youth group in Tennessee

November 2008:-- 44 Night Sky Network clubs and a record 102 participants, tuned into a training telecon.

• Funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, though local station. (~$10,000 plus in-kind)

• 26 3-minute shows• Aired 2007/2008• Also available at www.nrao.edu• Accompanied by web content.

NEW!NEW!

• Pulsar Search Collaboratory– Proposal to be Submitted to NSF ITEST– To involve students in radio astronomy science and the search

for new pulsars.– “Distributed computing”– Ultimate goal to become a citizen science project

Partnership between WVU physics, computer science, and education departments, WV EPSCoR, WV Dept. of Ed. and NRAO.