Educational Outreach Across LIGO

1
Educational Outreach Across LIGO

• Funding source
• LIGO operations
• IPSE proposal submitted in 2003 (pending)
• Advanced LIGO
• Future LIGO operations renewal
• Future funding requests for educational outreach
• Targeted outreach consumers
• local communities surrounding observatories
• national audience

2
LIGO Operations (past and current)

• Targeted observatory communities
• Pacific Northwest for Hanford Observatory
• Rural
• Low-income pockets and migrant populations
• Large Hispanic and Native American populations
• State of Louisiana for Livingston Observatory
• Rural
• Poor with failing schools
• Large black population
• Products
• Site tours
• Internships (REU, Teachers)
• Public Lectures
• Pre-/In-Service programs
• Resources
• Willing and clever science / engineering staff
• Money for observatory education coordinators

3
IPSE 2003 Proposal

• Based on experience and partnerships developed in
  early OPS, we will significantly expand local
  outreach
• 6.8M over three years
• Major Science Center at Livingston
• Exploratorium-developed exhibits for teaching
  science for Livingston Hanford
• Integrated with teacher training and service
  internships at Southern University of Baton Rouge
• Integrated with Louisianas GEAR-UP program
  through Board of Regents
• Local Educator Networks for guidance by outreach
  consumers
• Similar, but more developmental efforts at
  Hanford, with intent to grow partnerships,
  audience and submit proposal in three years

4
Operations Renewal Proposal

• Will absorb existing outreach efforts at
  observatories into regular operations
• Timing works well if IPSE 2003 funded
• Ensures continuity of expanded program in
  observatory communities

5
Outreach in Advanced LIGO Proposal

• Expands to a unified national outreach effort
• National effort has consisted of web pages, REU,
  visitor programs and significant effort to
  accommodate national press, radio and television
  requests for access to LIGO
• Recently LIGO and NSF have moved to develop
  30-minute LIGO video
• Advanced LIGO will pay for a National Outreach
  Director and leverage the individual LIGO
  Scientific Collaboration efforts in educational
  outreach across the US
• Once these efforts are assessed and unified, they
  will be significantly expanded through an
  additional proposal (similar to model by which
  local observatory outreach was expanded).

6
Timeable for AdvLIGO Outreach

• FY2004
• Recruit LSC Outreach Director and assistant
• Survey/document all LSC education and outreach
  activities
• Form LSC Educators Advisory Network
• August LSC Outreach Workshop to design enhanced,
  coordinated LSC program
• FY2005
• LSC Outreach Director develops detailed program
  plan with review meetings and educators advisory
  network participation
• March LSC meeting hosts LSC Outreach Outreach
  Workshop to finalize and approve program plan
• Initial elements of the plan implemented
• Supplemental proposals to NSF are submitted as
  necessary
• FY2006
• Initial operation of the coordinated LSC outreach
  program