Chelen Johnson
IDYL is the IDentification of YSOs in the Lagoon Nebula. This team is looking for known and new YSOs in M8, the Lagoon Nebula.
The best thing about the trip was the chance to interact with others who are trying to do the same things that I am trying to do. No one else around me tries to do student research (even though I have tried to get other teachers involved), not in my district nor in any of the surrounding ones. It was great to spend time with other teachers (and their students) who are trying to accomplish the same things that I am trying to do.
Sure, I wrote long papers for my masters', but those papers were to scholarship what engineering math is to actual mathematics - just get through it to do your job. Working with you in NITARP, I saw scholarship as a living community. [..] this experience encouraged me to write for the journal of my profession, but even moreso taught me to reach out to others[..]
NITARP has been the best experience I have ever had for my personal and professional development as an astronomy educator.