Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, Dayton, Ohio
General Public: Museum
Mr. Childers is one of the first museum educators to participate in NITARP.
It was very rewarding to be able to talk with astronomers who were willing to answer my (many) questions. Educators rarely have an opportunity to talk to professionals to hone their knowledge base once they finish school. I’m afraid I grabbed them every chance I got!
I did not anticipate how exhausted I’d get [at my first AAS meeting].
I discovered that meaningful astronomical research does not require access to meter-class observatories or a Beowulf cluster. Given the right professional to collaborate with, it is something that I'm able to do while still working at the planetarium.