Chelen Johnson
I had an amazing, exhausting time at the [2012] AAS meeting. I found myself continually challenged by the intellectual level and knowledge being shared. I was surprised and very encouraged to see a high proportion of people which are generally considered underrepresented in the sciences. That was a terrific take-home message for my students. It was an excellent experience all around, and gives me confidence that my team and I will be able to do a good job with our project and be great representatives of the NITARP program.
I was somewhat intimated at the prospect of working with Caltech scientists... however I found my first experience one that eased all my trepidations and instilled excitement for the work I will be doing.
The most valuable learning in high school arises when students take ownership of the content. Project such as the analysis of NASA telescope data, provide some optimal examples of this type of learning experience.
