LIGO Education and Outreach November 2008

1. LIGO Education and OutreachNovember 2008 Dale Ingram LIGO Hanford Observatory ingram_d@ligo-wa.caltech.edu

2. LIGO Outreach Focus • Leverage the scale, technology and science backdrop of the Observatories to create rich visitor experiences • Student field trips integrate hands-on standards-based activities with explorations of LIGO science and technology • Teacher professional development programs emphasize science inquiry along with key LIGO science concepts • Programs for the general public address a variety of interests and ages • Outreach programs are built on partnerships • The Observatories are important parts of the institutional fabric of their communities

3. The LIGO Livingston Science Education Center • The LIGO SEC offers dozens of premier hands-on exhibits from The Exploratorium that create a bridge between basic physics concepts and the science of LIGO.

4. SUBR LIGO LIGO SEC LaSIP/La GEAR UP Exploratorium Partnerships Power the SEC • The SEC collaboration is preparing a proposal to carry the Center forward on its growth trajectory.

5. Several thousand LA and WA students experienced LIGO field trips in 2007-08 • Hanford: Fifteen permanently mounted exhibits; three of these were built by the Exploratorium. • A standard LIGO field trip: Watch Einstein’s Messengers, spend time on the exhibits, enjoy Q&A with a LIGO scientist, take a site tour, visit the control room. All of these activities are connected to National Science Education Standards.

6. Teacher Professional Development Activities • Both Observatories participate in collaborations that provide standards-based inquiry-themed professional development programs for k-12 teachers while leveraging the proximity of LIGO science and scientists. • More than 1,000 person-days were spent by teachers at the sites in 2007-2008.

7. Research in the Teaching and Learning of Science • The LIGO-Tulane partnership utilizes the SEC to investigate family science interactions. • Hanford collaborates with WSU Tri-Cities on research related to teachers’ perceptions of the nature of science and scientific inquiry. • Evaluator data shows the benefits of “LIGO immersion” for teachers.

8. Undergraduates Strengthen Connections to Underrepresented Groups • Southern University students serve as SEC docents. • Columbia Basin College students serve dual outreach-technical internships at LHO.

9. Public Tours and Events Attract a Variety of Interests and Ages • The Observatories are growing in popularity as high-interest destinations. • Special activities target various visitor segments.

10. National Outreach • Einsteinsmessengers.org and the I2U2 project provide Web-based education resources. • The LSC EPO working group has submitted a proposal for a LIGO exhibit in the 2009 World Science Festival.

11. 2009 IYA -- an Opportunity for Astronomy Outreach 2009 LHO IYA Activities March 21: Astronomy for the Young May 2: International Astronomy Day June 4: LIGO at LitFest, “Astronomy: More than Romance?” June 20: Get Your Hands on Astronomy August 22: Searching the Deep Sky October 17: Einstein Film Festival December 5: Astronomy LIGO-Syle Astronomía la manera de LIGO LLO partnered on an astronomy event for teachers in 2008, laying the groundwork for future activities.

12. Proposal for a Hanford Outreach Center • LIGO seeks to replicate the success of the SEC with a comparable outreach facility at the Hanford Observatory.