Since 2012 Carthage College and the Appalachian Mountain Club have delivered astronomy and nature education to thousands of people through Mountains of Stars, a National Science Foundation funded education and outreach program. Mountains of Stars exists to change people’s attitudes and actions towards the environment by creating a cosmic perspective, using high-quality, hands-on astronomy experiences. Physics and astronomy students participate as Astronomy and Nature Guides while obtaining training and experience in science communication – a great resume builder and a key skill for professional development and growth. Now partnered with Dartmouth College, Smith College, and the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University, Mountains of Stars continues to grow and have greater impact on science understanding and environmental education of the public. Contact the program representative on your campus to get involved (see below for details):
By the Numbers
- Nearly 50,000 members of the public educated in science and nature to date
- More than 200 AMC staff and volunteers trained
- 25 students have participated as Guides and become skilled science communicators
- Over $60,000 in telescopes, accessories, and planetarium equipment in the program
- More than $750,000 in grant funding from the National Science Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the VWR Foundation, the Toomey Foundation, and private donors and supporters.
Contact information:
Interested students should contact the faculty member at their respective institution, and see here for application instructions. The deadline for applications is February 15, 2019.
Program PI: Prof. Doug Arion: darion@carthage.edu
Dr. Dan Lyons: danjlyons@gmail.com
Prof. Ryan Hickox: Ryan.C.Hickox@dartmouth.edu
Prof. James Lowenthal: jlowenth@smith.edu
Dr. Christine O’Connell: christine.oconnell@stonybrook.edu
Sara DeLucia: SDelucia@outdoors.org
This program is supported by the National Science Foundation under grant no. 1625316.