This summer, the University of Hawaiʻi’s Institute for Astronomy (IfA) welcomed 10 high school teachers from across the state for an exciting week of professional development. The inaugural TeachAstro workshop, held June 10–14, aimed to boost the skills and knowledge of Hawaiʻi’s high school STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) teachers.
“TeachAstro aims to connect state-of-the-art astronomy with the students of Hawaiʻi, by sharing IfA’s knowledge and tools with Hawaiʻi teachers, who can then take that back to their classrooms,” said UH astronomer Michael Liu, a faculty member at IfA and director of TeachAstro. “It was incredibly rewarding to experience the dedication and enthusiasm of our first cohort of teachers to realize this goal.”
Teachers apply IfA insights
Teachers dove into hands-on research projects, attended science talks by IfA astronomers, and participated in curriculum development sessions. They explored the latest astronomical data and software, learning how UH researchers study star clusters and exoplanets. IfA faculty Michael Nassir, Jennifer van Saders, Jonathan Williams, and Liu led the engaging sessions.
“My experience with TeachAstro was very valuable. I felt it connected me to a stronger community in astronomy, which is something that I cannot obtain from my school as I am the only teacher teaching this topic,” said Laura Daclison, a teacher at Kapolei High School.
The teachers worked on creating lesson plans to bring cutting-edge astronomy content into their classrooms.
“The TeachAstro program was inspiring and rejuvenating. I cannot wait to use all that I have learned in my classroom and better serve my students,” said Stephanie Pickett from Kealakehe High School.
IfA’s mission
Participants also learned about the crucial role that Hawaiʻi telescopes and astronomers play in protecting Earth from potentially hazardous asteroids. They enjoyed stargazing with amateur telescopes at Kapiʻolani Park and took part in online observations using the W.M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea.
“A key part of IfA’s mission is to bring the wonders and joy of astronomy to the community, through programs to engage learners at many levels. We’re thrilled that TeachAstro is off to such a strong start, and we’re hoping this helps build a network of astronomy educators across Hawaiʻi as this program continues in future summers,” said Doug Simons, IfA director.
Supported by a grant from the Heising-Simons Foundation, the TeachAstro program will return next summer with an expanded group of teachers. Applications will open this winter.