Greetings from Project ASTRO's latest expansion site in Tucson, Arizona! Project ASTRO, developed by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, is an innovative classroom outreach program that forms ongoing partnerships between educators and astronomers. NOAO is the lead institution for the expansion of Project ASTRO into the Tucson area, adding a half-time Project Coordinator to our Educational Outreach office. The Project ASTRO-Tucson local organizing committee is in the midst of selecting and matching ASTRO partners and preparing for the initial training workshop scheduled for 22 and 23 November.
The local organizing committee includes representatives from the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory, Flandrau Science Center, and Lunar and Planetary Lab; the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA); the Sahuaro Girl Scout Council; the Tucson Unified School District; and NOAO. We plan to integrate resources from all these organizations into Project ASTRO-Tucson, from star parties to telescope refurbishing services to classroom outreach programs that prepare students for star parties and observatory tours. We'd further like to link partners electronically, to facilitate communication and support the integration of educational technology in local classrooms. Our activities are described on-line through the K-12 Educational Outreach Activities link off the NOAO Home Page, http://www.noao.edu or accessed directly at URL http://www.noao.edu/education/astrotucson.html.
In my September 1996, NOAO Newsletter article about an in-class activity based on the motion of Comet Hyakutake, I incorrectly identified the CWRU Burrell Schmidt telescope on Kitt Peak. The correct acknowledgment should indicate the images were taken with the "Case Western Reserve University Burrell Schmidt Telescope located on Kitt Peak."
Suzanne Jacoby, NOAO Education Officer
& Project ASTRO-Tucson Program Director