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AAS - 2022

The Winter American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting is usually the largest meeting of professional astronomers in the world. NITARP educators attend an AAS first to meet their team, then they go home and work remotely for much of the year, and then attend an AAS to present their results. At any given AAS, then, we could have two NITARP classes attending - those finishing up, and those getting started. Reload to see a different set of quotes.

The 2020/21 and 2022 NITARP teams had planned to attend the 2022 January AAS meeting in Salt Lake City, UT. However, the meeting was entirely cancelled due to COVID. We still have this special article about the NITARP teams finishing and starting up. All of the posters from the 2020/21 teams we presented are here. Most of the 2020/21 teams came instead to the June 2022 AAS meeting in Pasadena, CA instead. Those posters were iPosters, so the PDF versions that are here are still the versions from Jan 2022, but the numbers are from June 2022.

The 2022 class got started on Jan 9, just before when the winter AAS would have been held. There are two teams in 2022.

Quotes

  • NITARP is the shining example of science outreach to public education, and should be a model for similar federal entities, such as CDC, DOE and even the NEA. Any entity currently providing grants could make their impact more palpable by sharing their work and culture directly with high school teachers and students as NITARP does. A program like NITARP turns teachers into adult representatives of the discipline at its heart; a program like NITARP makes every day in the classroom a Career Day.
  • I use spreadsheets much more now. I do this because the kids need spreadsheet skills that they’re not getting through direct instruction in the “foundations of technology” classes. I also do it because aggregating and parsing data are defining STEM skills and kids shouldn’t have to wait for college before they start doing it.
  • [student:] Previously, I did not entirely understand how versatile the data collected by telescopes are. Astronomers can utilize data and surveys that were created for a specific purpose for a completely different purpose. I didn't realize this before NITARP.
  • Confusion is the normal, and much appreciated, state during a NITARP experience. But it is that healthy, wonderful form of confusion that is triggering curiosity and engagement. The experience of the professional astronomers with individuals of our limited background knowledge and skills allowed them to constantly adjust the pacing and content of the experience to keep us on the edge of comfort/confusion. This is the sweet spot for cognitive challenge and growth, so it was a true pleasure to experience it in the NITARP setting with such fidelity and control over such a long period of time. The NITARP experience is masterful at supporting our development as amateur astronomers and professional educators. I loved every minute of it… even the, “wait a minute… what? No seriously… ??????” moments. Keep doing exactly this… let us flounder to the point of ALMOST tearful frustration… and then swoop in to pull us back just inside the edge of our comfort zones… it is awesome to experience.
  • Look at where my kids are now. Their resumes are leaps and bounds better. Their confidence in talking with other students, teachers, and scientists has gone off the charts. We really changed their paths.

Related Teams

AAS - 2022