The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) has announced that its 128th Annual Meeting will be a special STEM outreach conference focused on preparations for the August 21, 2017, solar eclipse across North America. (STEM = science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.)
The conference, entitled “Engage Every Child in the 2017 Solar Eclipse: Working Together with Diverse and Underserved Communities Across America,” will be held December 8-9, 2016, at the Moonrise Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri.
The vast majority of the population in North America will experience a partial solar eclipse in their hometowns and could participate in eclipse events at venues such as schools, local parks, libraries, and other sites in their neighborhoods. This conference will concentrate on the task of ensuring broad participation in the August 21, 2017, solar eclipse, especially among diverse and underserved communities off the eclipse’s path of totality.
The goals of the conference are to
- convene a mix of outreach-minded scientists, educators, and eclipse enthusiasts together with STEM community leaders interested in fostering diverse engagement in the 2017 eclipse, and
- offer a program featuring helpful strategies, information, resources, networking opportunities, and personal connections to enable people to follow up and plan for successful eclipse engagement with underserved communities in their own regions.
See the conference website for information on abstract submission, registration, program speakers and sessions, and lodging. You can also sign up to receive notifications as more information about the meeting becomes available.
The American Astronomical Society is proud to be a cosponsor of this conference.