Astrophysics

	Website: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory: Outreach Topic: Astrophysics Target Groups: Teachers and students (K-12); undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. students; local community; science journalists. Resources for Educators: Web-archived videos and lectures; student fellowships and summer programs; internships; images and other teaching resources; publications. Locally - special events, lectures and tours. Summary: The SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is home to the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford University. SLAC has community and education outreach programs directed to educators, students and the general public that includes developing educational resources available on the web, as well as opportunities to engage SLAC researchers. Sample Activities: SLAC Public Lecture Series. KIPAC Director Roger Blandford discusses the "Runaway Universe" and why it appears to be flat, accelerating and lightweight. SLAC Public Lecture Series: The SLAC Public Lecture Series opens the doors to the inner workings of SLAC for the local nonscientific community. Virtual Visitor Center: The Virtual Visitor Center website is intended for the general public, particularly students and teachers, who are interested in the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Visitors to the site can find explanations for cosmic rays and other phenomena, as well as laboratory exercises, simulations and educational resources. SLAC Tours: The SLAC tour highlights the work that goes on behind the scenes of high energy physics experiments.

	Website: Kavli Institute of Cosmological Physics: Outreach Topics: Astrophysics/Cosmology Target Groups: Teachers and students (K-12), general public, museum/planetarium staff and college instructors. Resources for Educators: Online resources include a cosmology primer, video visualizations, lecture materials/overviews prepared for teachers and students, archived lectures, exhibits, special events. Summary: Outreach and educational programs are directed to the community, local schools, science museums and planetariums. A diverse range of activities includes providing classroom resources for educators, such as videos and materials that explain the universe, modern research and phenomena, such as dark energy. Sample Activities: Shown above is an AIRES simulation of what happens when a proton shower with 1Eev of energy hits the atmosphere about 20km above the ground. The shower is in a 20km x 5km x 5km box superimposed on a satelite image. Space Explorers Program: Aimed at connecting local, under-represented students with the university community, this program immerses middle and high school students in the process of doing science, helping them to succeed in high school and beyond. Students participate in weekly hands-on, in-depth laboratory sessions, visit research labs and enjoy enrichment field trips, with older students sometimes serving as interns in research laboratories. Museum Partnerships: The Institute has partnered with Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum and other museums to develop exhibits, present public lectures, and lead programs aimed at educating museum staff. It has also hosted/co-hosted workshops, conferences, short courses, adult educational programming and special events. Cosmology Courses: Short courses for scientists and educators for introducing modern research into classrooms and museums.

	Website: Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research: Outreach Topics: Astrophysics Target Groups: Teachers and students (K-12), local community/general public, educators. Resources for Educators: Tours of CHANDRA X-Ray Observatory and the Kavli Institute labs, apprenticeships and classes for middle and high school students, education links and resources for K-12 teachers. Summary: Through local community groups and schools, the Institute actively promotes the understanding and appreciation of science. Each year, projects focusing on different topics are designed for middle and high school students, including on-campus instruction and activities that can be led off-campus by teachers. All programs are designed to increase the public's understanding of the field and excite interest in science and higher education. Sample Activities: The primary goals of the Youth Astronomy Apprenticeship program is to promote science learning among urban, underrepresented youth and their communities. Youth Astronomy Apprenticeship (YAA): YAA fosters science learning to promote overall youth development and competitive professional opportunities among urban teenage youth and their communities. In the after-school program, youth engage in astronomy investigations, take astronomical images using the MicroObservatory online telescope network, learn to process astronomical images, and produce reports and presentations about their investigations. In the summer apprenticeship program, youth participate in paid positions, working with scientists and science educators. Finally, some youth take on a major role in the YAA program itself and join the staff as youth assistants for the YAA after-school programs. The program is a collaboration with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, the Timothy Smith Network, and the Institute of Learning Innovation, and is funded by the National Science Foundation. Kids Capture Their Universe (KCU): KCU is an astronomy apprenticeship attended by middle school students in Boston as part of the nationwide after-school initiative, Citizen Schools. Volunteer “citizen teachers” (amateur astronomers, undergrad/grad students and professionals) spend 10 weeks helping apprentices learn to process and interpret images taken with MicroObservatory, an online telescope network. Chandra Astrophysics Institute (CAI): CAI s a yearlong opportunity for students in grades 9-11 from a wide range of academic backgrounds to train for and undertake astronomy projects mentored by MIT scientists using observations from the Chandra X-Ray space telescope. CAI consists of two parts -- a five-week summer training session, where participants develop employable communication and collaboration skills, as well as a science/technology background; and a school-year astronomy project, where participants apply these skills as a team toward an investigative project in X-ray astronomy.

	Website: Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University Topics: Astrophysics Target Groups: General Public, journalists, students. Summary: The Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University (KIAA-PKU) promotes basic research in China with the highest international standards and carries out research on the origin and evolution of astrophysical structures from the scales of planetary systems and stars up to that of the universe as a whole. Sample Activities: Facility Tours: The KIAA welcomes students, journalists and the general public to visit the Institute. Visits will be arranged within the limited capacity available and in such a way that they do not disturb the research work. Public Lectures: Designed to educate the public about the exciting research occurring at the Peking University. This series should pique the interest of parents, teachers and students and encourage young people to consider a Astrophysics-related education.

	Website: Kavli Institute for Cosmology, Cambridge Topics: Astrophysics Target Groups: General public; primary and secondary teachers and students. Resources for Educators: Institutions affiliated with the Kavli Institute provide online resources, including podcasts and "Ask an Astronomer;" Locally, lectures, visits to an observatory, and special events are among the resources provided. Summary: Two institutions affiliated with the Kavli Institute at Cambridge have established strong outreach programs. These institutions provide public lectures, educational programs for public school teachers, summer internships for undergraduates, video presentations and other resources. Sample Activities: Astropod is a monthly astronomy podcast from the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge that includes a friendly roundup of news and answers questions from listeners. Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge: The Institute provides a varied program of outreach activities aimed at school pupils and their teachers, community groups and the general public. This includes weekly public open evenings throughout the winter season, events during the annual Cambridge Science Festival, exhibitions in collaboration with creative artists, and Astronomy Conferences for high school students. Resource available online include Astropod, a monthly astronomy podcast that includes a friendly roundup of news, answers astronomy questions from listeners and includes a joke a month and Ask an Astronomer. Cavendish Laboratory: In addition to a museum, the Laboratory provides workshops and resources aimed for secondary and primary school teachers. This includes the summer Senior Physics Challenge, a five-day summer school aimed to engage 12th-year students in physics and one day teacher workshops of physics topics. Online, along with taking a virtual tour of the museum, there are recommended activities for secondary and primary students, as well as other resources.