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Caroline Odden

Ms. Caroline Odden

Caroline Odden

Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts


Grades or community reached

9, 10, 11, 12


Bio

Ms. Odden was part of the NITARP 2012 class.


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Quotes

  • It is an eye opening and life changing experience for the participants.

  • Since starting with NITARP, my Astronomy Research Course has grown by leaps and bounds. Much of this has to do with conversation I have and connections I make at the AAS each year.

  • 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.

  • Today [June 2014] I was musing about how NITARP took me to my first AAS in 2012. This summer I went on my own, had a great time connecting with established friends and meeting new ones, and even presented my own poster. I'd say that's some pretty good progress! Thanks for all that you do for us teachers!

  • This is my third AAS. I understand so much more than I did the first time, but I STILL HAVE SO MUCH TO LEARN! This is a fantastic professional development opportunity, and generates so many ideas each time I come.

  • I love learning about the myriad ways astronomers figure out how to make lemonade out of lemons. It almost seems like cheating sometimes, but it isn't. Astronomers are just so crafty when it comes to figuring out how to make the best use of the data they have.

  • I didn’t know just how much data is publicly available. Anyone can do astronomy – you just need to come up with a question and figure out how to use the archives.

  • I knew nothing about the online archives before this experience. Now I am quite familiar with them, and I have even used them a few times for reasons unrelated to NITARP. I am certain I’ll continue to use this resource going forward.

  • I met a lot of people over the course of [my first AAS]. So many people were interested in chatting, especially with a high school physics teacher!

  • The time at Caltech was fantastic. I enjoyed working alongside my students in a way that felt very different from the typical classroom setting.

  • I have a much better sense of what research astronomy is about now, and I think I will have more confidence to try new things (related to astronomy) going forward.

  • Thank you so much for providing this wonderful experience for my students and for me. I learned a lot, and I had a great time. It was a wonderful to have the chance to work with David and Steve.

  • NITARP is the best!

  • Astronomers are a remarkably collaborative lot.

  • Astronomers are a remarkably collaborative lot. I knew this, but I was amazed by how friendly everyone was [at my first AAS]. For the most part I was clear that I was a teacher, and they probably had nothing to gain by talking to me. For most people, this was not a deterrent.

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The application period is now closed for NITARP 2025. We will release our selection for the 2025 class at the 2025 January AAS.