Space Odyssey Internship Program

Denver Museum Of Nature And Science, Denver CO

Investigators

Abstract

AST-0227859 Andrews, Polly Ms. Polly Andrews is awarded funds at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to develop an Internship Program for the new Space Odyssey exhibit. The funds will, for one year, support one full-time resident teacher intern, the equivalent of one half FTE research scientist (allocated over two part-time content specific researchers), two part-time graduate students, and four part-time undergraduate students from different disciplines. These interns will work with Museum staff to develop and prototype educational programs for Space Odyssey. The scientists, teacher, students, and Museum staff will work together in teams to create or upgrade classes that cover topics in solar system astronomy, stellar astronomy, and astrobiology. In addition, a separate new program will be developed that highlights the latest developments in astronomy and space science in a news format. The scientists will ensure that the scientific content for the classes will provide a balanced and cutting-edge view of contemporary space science research. The teacher will ensure that the content presented in the classes is both age- and curriculum- appropriate, and that the programs meet teachers' needs. The students will gain valuable experience by serving as research and program assistants. Space Odyssey has the potential to reach 1.5 million annual Museum visitors. This project is supported by the Office of Multidisciplinary Actitivies in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences.