Total solar eclipses are transformative celestial events and witnessing the awe and wonder of totality has been shown to increase public interest in astronomy. Moreover, when professional astronomers directly engage the public either in preparation for totality or during the eclipse itself, the value scientists add can improve public science literacy and increase public trust in science, scientists, and science agencies. Total solar eclipses also represent a unique opportunity for educators – including those working in science museums, nature centers, and schools – to meaningfully engage children and families in a once-in-a-lifetime celestial event.

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) was the lead organization for the NSF-funded Eclipse Ambassadors: Preparing Scientists and Educators to Facilitate Engagement in the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse. The project’s primary goal was to ensure that people of all ages and backgrounds – whether students witnessing totality in their schools or members of the public viewing totality in an informal learning environment – were prepared for and engaged in the April 8, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse.  To that end, scientists and educators who trained and supported to facilitate solar eclipse events, including engaging learners in innovative hands-on activities and safe solar viewing practices. 

The intellectual merit of the work rested in the project’s contributions to improved understanding about the design and delivery of online, synchronous professional development that (1) strengthens the communication and engagement skills of research scientists, (2) increases the astronomy content knowledge of STEM educators, and (3) improves self-confidence and interest in astronomy outreach for both scientists and educators. Professional development offered through this project provided scientists and educators with specific strategies and a model for engaging learners useful beyond solar eclipses. In a broader societal sense, this project ultimately impacted the ability of educators and scientists to improve how people view science and appreciate its critical place in society. Therefore, the goal of a developing a more scientifically literate populace with an increased interest in STEM was served through the activities of this project.  

The ASP trained and support a cadre of 304 “Eclipse Ambassadors,” including 74 professional astronomers and 230 informal science educators and science teachers. We focused recruitment and training on Eclipse Ambassadors on or near the path of totality where the public would experience the full awe and wonder of a solar eclipse. Astronomers and science educators were: (1) provided with professional development, materials, and resources needed to successfully engage the public and K-9 students in a total solar eclipse resulting in transferable knowledge and skills that both groups can apply to public engagement and the teaching of astronomy more generally and (2) inducted into two separate but overlapping online learning communities designed to foster peer collaboration ahead of, during, and after the eclipse had ended.

Scientists and educators all received 3-hours of online professional development. We delivered the training in two separate strands – one for professional astronomers focused on developing their science communication and public engagement skills and the other for science educators focused on astronomy content, including the scale size, distance, and geometry of the Sun-Earth-Moon system and the conditions needed for total solar eclipses to occur. One-hour follow up sessions were open to all Eclipse Ambassadors and highlighted additional ways to successfully engage their communities. Both groups received a solar eclipse kit shipped upon acceptance into the program and before their training began. Kits contained astronomy education materials, hands-on activities, and resources curated specifically for the April 8, 2024 eclipse. In addition, all kits contained eclipse glasses and instructions for making pinhole projection devices to facilitate safe solar eclipse engagement. 

Analysis of evaluation survey data collected from participants of the Eclipse Ambassadors Project revealed  gains in (1) scientist’s level of confidence in engaging the public in eclipses specifically and in science phenomena more generally, (2) educator’s level of confidence in teaching ideas related to space science, (3) educator’s level of confidence in their of solar eclipse related content knowledge. Moreover, we received 219 responses from the Eclipse Ambassadors (a 76% response rate) to an optional questionnaire asking participants to describe how they had leveraged our training and materials to engage audiences. When asked to estimate the number of students and members of the public reached by their engagement events, we discovered that Eclipse Ambassadors had collectively engaged an astonishing 135,700 people - well over 100,000 more people than we had originally anticipated.

Last Modified: 03/17/2025
Modified by: Linda S Shore