WWW.ASTRONOMY.COM 33about outreach goals, some spanning con-
tinents to include returning to Chile for
future outreach.
Among the projects are public lectures,
classroom activities, blogs and print arti-
cles, and planetarium shows. Angela
Osterman Meyer is incorporating data
from Chilean observatories into high
school science classes in Culver, Indiana.
Alice Few of Tacoma, Washington, spoke
about ACEAP and STEM at the 2017 Girl
Scouts of the U.S.A. national convention in
Columbus, Ohio. “Additionally,” she says,
“it looks like I will be leading a group of
Girl Scouts back down to Chile for STEM
exploration and the 2019 eclipse! I’ll be
working with María Rebeca Lopez [the
2017 Chilean ambassador] on that project
so my girls, her students, and the Chilean
Girl Guides can have a joint project.”
Jackson turned her awe at the sheer size
of the telescopes into a scale model of the
8.1m Gemini mirror using mylar emer-
gency blankets. “Since most of the people
I come in contact with will never get to go
to Chile, I hope getting to experience the
enormous size of the Gemini mirror will
spark some interest. It also serves to dis-
cuss the light-gathering power of telescopes
and spark interest and questions about
research being done in Chile,” she says.
But ACEAP ambassadors are not, by
nature, satisfied to stop once their initial
outreach projects are complete. They want
to continue inspiring interest in astronomy,
science, and technology — now not alone,
but as part of a larger, coordinated effort.
“We don’t take the trip; the trip takes us,”
says Ed Ting, an amateur astronomer and
astrophotographer from Manchester, New
Hampshire. “I went to Chile hoping to learn
about astronomy, telescopes, and to try out
some astrophotography techniques. While
those things did happen, I also immersed
myself in the Chilean culture and made
friendships that will last a lifetime.”
Tim Spuck, ACEAP principal investiga-
tor and STEM education development offi-
cer for AUI at NRAO, has now guided
three groups through Chile. “For each
ambassador, in many ways, ACEAP is
its own unique journey,” he says. “I’vediscovered over the years that while there is
much in common with the ambassadors,
each has a special reason for taking part.
This collage of motivations and passion for
astronomy results in a unique work of art
for each ACEAP cohort. It has been a joy
and a privilege to travel this road with
each of them.”
The 2018 ambassadors are now prepar-
ing for their trip. The ACEAP family grows,
and with it the resources for cultivating
new opportunities for partnerships across
the United States and Chile. Thanks to the
support of the NSF, its superb facilities and
their staff, and programs like ACEAP, more
of America’s astronomy educators and
enthusiasts are becoming part of a network
dedicated to bringing astronomy down to
Earth and kindling in people around the
world a love of the sky we all share.
ACEAP, like astronomy in Chile, is
about people.111213 14Alison Klesman in an associate editor of
Astronomy who is excited about promoting
STEM outreach and education.