Published: August 15, 2011
Ms. Piper has been very busy, conducting more than seven(!) workshops (with more planned) for teachers and students in Illinois and Wisconsin.
She also writes:
My students who have been asteroid hunting (WISE-ISAC) are seniors now, and are now working on determining light curves of asteroids and are dedicated to expanding their horizons in the area of obtaining their own data.
I have a new group that is rapidly growing through word of mouth that plans to hunt for asteroids and learn about SOFIA. This plan started with my own daughter and her cousins who attend three neighboring schools and has now spread to friends of friends. This group is especially interesting because these schools are from two different districts and tend to be rivals.
My school district also just installed "distance learning" equipment (video and audio) so that the 4 schools in our district can share teaching resources. I have already been asked by two of the three other schools to contribute to their astronomy classes, in particular about the SOFIA and NITARP experience and future possibilities (probably affecting 60-100 students in addition to my own).