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Programs

Astronomy from the Ground Up (AFGU) provides informal science educators and interpreters with new and innovative ways to communicate astronomy. AFGU is a growing community of hundreds of educators from museums, science centers, nature centers, and parks around the U.S., who are actively enhancing and expanding their capacity to address astronomy topics for their visitors.

Project ASTRO™ Find out more about this highly successful national program that partners astronomers and teachers in the classroom

San Francisco Bay Area ASTRO is a Project ASTRO National Network Site that is run by the ASP

Family ASTRO Discover a new program at the ASP that is developing events and activities to share the excitement of hands-on astronomy with families

Sharing the Universe (STU) will help amateur astronomers find ways to improve the quality and effectiveness of their education and public outreach (EPO) activities by looking at what successful clubs are doing and what "best practices" might be transferable to other clubs or amateurs that may be struggling with EPO. New EPO support resources and networking options will also be tested and made available to astronomy clubs nationwide.

SOFIA Explore the invisible universe of infra-red astronomy in a 747 at high altitudes

The Survey of College Astronomy Teachers Add your voice to a growing network of educators who teach introductory astronomy at community colleges and other institutions without extensive research programs

Cosmos in the Classroom Symposia Learn to teach introductory astronomy for nonscience majors more effectively

Night Sky Network Outreach ToolKits and Training Available from the ASP and NASA. Amateur Astronomy Clubs interested in enhancing or expanding their public outreach and education activities are invited to apply for membership in the "Night Sky Network," a new program specifically designed for amateur astronomers.

The Universe in the Classroom is a quarterly electronic newsletter for teachers who want to help their students learn more about science, astronomy and the universe.

Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures Downloadable non-technical lectures by noted astronomers covering recent developments in our understanding of the universe.

SEED Grants The ASP SEED Grant program supports the ASP's mission to improve the understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of astronomy by encouraging active researchers to engage in public outreach, K-14 formal education, or informal education programs or activities.

International Year of Astronomy (2009) Discovery Guides The ASP and NASA have collaborated to create monthly guides highlighting a different theme and object in the sky for each month of 2009. The IYA Discovery Guides contain an article, finder chart for the featured object, a hands on activity that brings the theme of the month as well as links to additional activities related to the topic. Most activities include a short video that can be downloaded showing it in use.

Astronomy Behind the Headlines is a podcast for informal science educators. Each episode gives you a look behind the latest headlines in astronomy and space science and provides links to related resources and activities so you can interpret these exciting topics for your audiences.

Galileo Teacher Training Program is a pilot program established during the International Year of Astronomy, testing a new model of teacher professional development designed to facilitate the teaching of the process of science using Galileo's iconic observations and other resources. Workshops have been conducted and are planned for the Bay Area as well as at venues around the country, using a web site (www.gttpusa.org) to help develop graduates of the program as a community of practice.

The NASA Galileo Educator Network (GEN) is a NASA funded teacher professional development program managed by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. The GEN program creates professional development nationwide with the primary goals to help teacher educators and teacher professional development providers engage and educate teachers of astronomy (and general science) and to promote the effective use of NASA-developed and NASA-supported resources by teacher educators and teacher professional development providers, through integration of astronomy/space science content with Galileo-inspired science inquiry and exploration.

Sky Rangers, a part of the Astronomy from the Ground Up (AFGU) program, provides astronomy training and materials to park rangers and other outdoor educators and interpreters.