Shaw-IAU Workshops by the OAE

The public engagement (PE) program embedded within the NASA PUNCH mission extends outreach to primary and secondary classroom students and educators. Our Ancient and Modern Sun-watching outreach theme helps to ensure that the science of heliophysics is more personally and cross-culturally relevant to a broader diversity of learners. The mission cultivates intentional collaboration with scientists, Indigenous and Spanish-speaking youth and families, Girl Scouts, and Blind and Low-Vision (BLV) learners. Evaluation is conducted collaboratively among PE team members, institutional partners including planetariums and science centers interested in reaching classrooms, and the external evaluator (S. Buxner), who is also an active astronomy educator. Aligned with research about how people learn, evaluation is conducted from a participatory framework and includes ongoing conversations and collaboration that are sensitive to new opportunities beyond traditional front-end needs assessments. The multi-institutional nature of the collaboration allows for pilot testing in classrooms in multiple communities and in different settings to best meet the needs of collaborating communities.

About Sanlyn Buxner

Sanlyn Buxner is a senior research scientist and education and communication specialist at the Planetary Science Institute and a research professor at the University of Arizona. She is an active astronomy education researcher and program evaluator. Her research interests include ways to support community science, studying the impact of research experiences for students and teachers, and supporting youth in out-of-school time to engage in meaningful STEM practices.