Public Outreach
Chip Kobulnicky
Below is a non-exhaustive summary of some recent
outreach activities.
Wyoming REU :
College students come to Wyoming every summer to work with astronomers and
use telescopes as part of the
National Science Foundation Research
Experience for Undergraduates program.
Wyoming Astro Camp :
Astro Camp is a living/learning community of teachers and students
from Wyoming (mostly) engaged in astronomy and space related
research and educational activities for several weekends each
summer on the UW campus. Wyoming Astro Camp is supported by
NASA and the
National Science Foundation.
The first Wyoming Astro Camp occured in the summer of 2003.
Universe in the Park 2000:
Astronomers from the University of Wisconsin
spend summer evenings camping out with telescopes
in state parks throughout Wisconsin.
This summer, I enjoyed camping by the shore of Lake Michigan and sharing
the wonders of the summer sky with park visitors.
Project Astro
1998-1999: Project Astro is an educational partnership
between astronomers and public school teachers & students
organized by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.
Ideally, the partnership involves a series regular classroom
visits by the astronomer in order to make a lasting impact on the quality
of science education by providing encouragement and outside
expertise for the teacher and a positive experience in
science for the students.
Newton's Apple:
I have served as a scientific consultant for the
PBS educational science
series, Newton's Apple
Undergraduate Research at the College of St. Catherine:
From 1994-1997 I maintained a partnership with the College of St. Catherine Physics
Department, serving as an astronomer research advisor for
undergraduate students wishing to conduct observational astronomy
experiments and gain experience with telescopes.
Graduate Student Development: In 1993 and 1994 I was the co-organizer
of the Grain
Elevators and the Cosmos Graduate Student Conferences
Model the World Day:
In 1994, 10,000 school children descended upon the University of
Minnesota campus to assemble a
1/millionth scale model of the
Earth which they researched and painted in exquisite detail. I was a classroom
volunteer helping the students learn about maps scales, geography, and
such as they researched and painted their piece of the 5000-piece globe.
That's me under one of those hard hats!
Public Outreach Manual:
I maintain a
public outreach resource manual for students and
faculty at Minnesota to use when preparing for public presentations.
Talks in Public Schools
- Bethany Academy--8th grade, Stars and the Solar System, 16 October, 1991
- Edenbrook School--4th grade, Solar System/Careers, 22 October, 1991
- Adams Elementary School--5th grade, Space Missions, 7 November, 1991
- Adams Elementary School--3th grade, The Solar System, 13 November, 1991
- Minneapolis Public School Academy--6th grade, The Solar System, 19 November, 1991
- St. Joseph School--6th grade, The Solar System, 24 January, 1992
- Forest Hills Elementary--4th grade, Stars and The Solar System, 31 January, 1992
- Invited talk presented to the Minnesota Astronomical Society -- February, 1992
- Sacred Heart School--8th grade, Stars and the Solar System, 13 February, 1992
- Westwood Elementary School--2nd grade, The Planets, 22 April, 1992
- Bell Museum--4th grade, Telescopes, 24 April, 1992
- Wilder Fundamental School--6-8th grade, Stars and the Solar System, 6 May, 1992
- St. Therese--7th grade, The Solar System, 13 May, 1992
- St. Rose of Lima Elementary--7-8th grade, Current events in Astronomy, 20 May, 1992
- Benilde-St. Margret School--8th grade, Stars and the Solar System, 26 October, 1992
- Calvin Christian School--4th grade, Methods of Astronomy, 23 November, 1992
- Richardson Elementary School--K-5th grade, Stars and the Solar System, 16 October, 1992
- Blessed Sacrement School--8th grade, Current Events in Astronomy, 19 January, 1992
- Ascension School--7-8th grade, Future/Careers in Astronomy, 26 January, 1992
- Bell Museum--4-6th grade, telescopes and Astronomy, 5 March, 1993
- Palmer Lake Elementary--4th grade, Stars and the Solar System, 8 March, 1993
- Lino Lakes Elementary--4th grade, Planets, 23 April, 1993
- Calvin Christian School--8th grade, Distances in Astronomy/Spectra, 30 April, 1993
- Minnesota Waldorf School--8th grade, Life, The Universe and Everything, 21 May, 1993
- Calvin Christian School--4th grade, October, 1993
- Calvin Christian School--2nd grade, Sun and Stars, 19 April, 1994
- Richfield Intermediate School--4th grade, The Solar System, 1 November, 1995
- Calvin Christian School--2nd,4th grade, Sun and Stars, 28 November, 1995
- Oxbow Creek Elementary--5th grade, Sun and Stellar Evolution, 9 February, 1996
- Peter Holbart Elementary School, St. Louis Park--2nd grade, Sun and Planets, 12 February, 1996
- Department Telescope Tour--8th grade, Astronomy and Careers, 13 March, 1996
- Island Hills School, Maplewood--2nd grade, The Planets, 14 March, 1996
- Ridgeview Elementary, Minneapolis--2nd grade, Stars and Constellations, 29 October 1996
- Calvin Christian School, Edina MN--4th grade, Solar System, 25 November, 1996
- Countryside Elementary, Edina MN--4th-5th grade, Astronomy Science Fair, 17 January, 1997
- Peter Hobart School, St. Louis Park MN--1st grade (2), Astronomy and the Solar System, 23 May, 1997
- Armitage Elementary, Edina MN--1st grade (2) , Solar System, 23 May, 1997
- Telescope Tour, Obrien Observatory for Chataqua teachers conference, 5 June, 1997
- Astronomy Day, East Aurora High School, 3 classes, 19 November, 1997
- Montclaire Elementary--2nd and 4th grade, Astronomy and the Solar System, 30 January, 1998
- High St. Community Church"The Heavens Declare...": The wonders of the sky , 1 May, 1998
- UC Santa Cruz Early Academic Outreach Program for High School Students DayScience & careers, 13 August, 1998
- Seagate/Santa Cruz County Science Fair Judge, April 22, 1998
- High St. Community Church"The Heavens Declare...": The wonders of the sky , 18 October, 1998
- Main St. Elementary 4th Grade Class Star Party , 22 October, 1998
- Soquel Elementary 5th Grade Class Star Party , 29 October, 1998
- Santa Cruz Astronomy Club Monthly MeetingThe Elements in the Universe, 12 November, 1998
- Kendall Elementary School, Naperville IL Stars and the Planets, 25 November, 1998
- Seagate/Santa Cruz County Science Fair Judge, April 24, 1999
- UW Space Place, The Astronomical Origins of Everyday Stuff ,July 2000
- Stoughton High School Career Fair, November 15, 2000
- Bethel Horizons Camp astronomy and religion evening, August 11, 2001
- UW Space Place Firstar Eve star party, Dec. 31, 2001
- UW Space Place Extrasolar Planets Talk January 7, 2002