Chelen Johnson
The HIPS AGaiN (Hidden in Plain Sight AGaiN) team will be using archival surveys for stellar variability to detect variability in active galactic nuclei (AGN) in the background.
My general impression is how big and varied the whole conference was. I knew the number coming in—but sometimes our imagination fails us. To see all the posters, papers, booths, and talks was truly astonishing.
High school students are hungry for authentic research experiences, and both high school teachers and students benefit immensely from having contact with a professional astronomer. This may seem inefficient (because it costs a lot of money to connect individuals with professionals), but it can change lives, and there are wonderful ripple effects.
This experience has made me conscious of how important it is to have students work with real data. I will definitely seek out more opportunities to include real data in my lessons and labs.
