Abstract

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) delivered the Eclipse Stars project in 2023-2024. The primary goal of the Eclipse Stars project was to ensure people of all ages and backgrounds were meaningfully engaged in the 2024 total solar eclipse, ultimately leading to increased interest in astronomy, improved trust in scientists, and participation in STEM more generally. Over 300 scientists and educators participated in the Eclipse Stars project reaching over 138,000 members of the public and classroom learners. Eclipse Stars scientists and educators each participated in a 3-hour training, and received a toolkit of materials to build skills and knowledge to help them engage with their local audiences along the path of totality.

“[Eclipse Stars] was invaluable for me and for my team! It was great to be able to share my knowledge that I gained from the program, and I would say that we got hundreds more people impacted by the program indirectly through training my staff and local teachers with the program materials.” - Eclipse Stars Participant

1. Introduction:

The 2017 “Great American Eclipse” was a highly anticipated celestial event as it was the first total solar eclipse in almost 100 years to traverse the United States from coast to coast. In the 1 hour 33 minutes it took for the Moon’s umbral shadow to go from Oregon to South Carolina, NASA estimated that 215 million people – or 88% of the US population – observed the eclipse in person or (in the case of the vast majority) watched it remotely on televisions, laptops, smartphones, or other devices (Miller, 2018). This project focused on the solar eclipse of April 8, 2024 when totality crossed a much more populated region that included numerous urban centers in the Southwest, Midwest, and Northeast. The huge national audience that experienced the excitement of the 2017 eclipse was now primed and eager for 2024 (Fienberg, 2018). Moreover, because totality in 2024 would pass through many more populated urban areas compared to 2017 (which was largely a rural and remote event), the estimates were that 30 million people would witness totality where they live with many millions more traveling to the path (AAS, 2023).  

Total solar eclipses are transformative celestial events rarely or never seen by most people. Witnessing totality has been shown to spark an increased interest in astronomy, improve science literacy, and build public trust in science, scientists, and science agencies. By leveraging growing media attention and public interest in the 2024 total solar eclipse and applying lessons learned from the programs carried out by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) ahead of the 2017 eclipse, we (1) provided training and materials to professional scientists leading public engagement events ahead of and during the 2024 total solar eclipse, and (2) helped K-12 science teachers increase their own understanding of the science of eclipses, prepare their students for totality, and use the eclipse to motivate youth in meeting NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) learning expectations for their grade levels (Kruse, 2016). 

The ASP chose to leverage the organization’s extensive experience and success in delivering high-quality, effective, and transformative online professional development which prepared scientists and educators to engage people of all ages and backgrounds in the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. Specifically, we designed and delivered (1) a program for scientists focused on improving their public engagement skills by helping them anticipate audience knowledge, beliefs, and interests, and tailor their outreach efforts accordingly, and (2) an analogous program for educators focused on strengthening their own astronomy content knowledge and pedagogical practice while helping them facilitate age appropriate learning experiences.   

The ASP received NSF funding in 2023 for Eclipse Ambassadors: Preparing Scientists and Educators to Facilitate Engagement in the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse, a Special Project (NSF AST-1811022). Scientists and educators trained and supported through the project were called “Eclipse Stars” to distinguish them from “Eclipse Ambassadors” who are in a separate ASP eclipse outreach project funded by NASA.

The primary goal of the Eclipse Stars project was to ensure people of all ages and backgrounds were meaningfully engaged in the 2024 total solar eclipse, ultimately leading to increased interest in astronomy, improved trust in scientists, and participation in STEM more generally. To that end, we trained and supported a cadre of 304 ASP Eclipse Stars - 218 educators and 76 scientists. All Eclipse Stars received 3 hours of online professional development, a solar eclipse toolkit containing astronomy education materials and resources curated specifically for engaging public audiences and, classroom students in astronomy and eclipse education. The toolkits contained eclipse glasses, NASA PUNCH pinhole projectors, and instructions for making pinhole projection devices to facilitate safe solar eclipse engagement. In addition, materials for hands-on activities to model eclipses, such as the Yardstick Eclipse and polystyrene balls and strings were also included. Each Eclipse Stars workshop used the Learn@ASP portal, a web-based system allowing Eclipse Stars to access activities and a plethora of eclipse teaching resources, including “how to” videos, facilitation guides, education research articles, and links to external sites focused on multicultural connections, culturally inclusive practices, and Spanish language resources. 

Eclipse Stars trained and supported by the project collectively engaged 138,380 members of the public and classroom learners as self-reported by 220 of the 304 participants. 

2. Program Description:

The Eclipse Stars team developed two strands of three-hour workshops: one designed specifically for scientists and the other for educators. Each of the eleven workshops offered had a limit of 30 participants each, to encourage interactivity. The scientist workshop emphasized strategies for public engagement designed to promote awe and wonder in audiences of varying ages, cultural backgrounds, and life experiences. For example, workshops examined a variety of cases, including how outreach efforts could be tailored for seniors in assisted living, young children visiting a museum, or families attending an outdoor eclipse event. Educator workshops focused on how to engage students at various grade levels in developmentally appropriate learning sequences as children explore observable phenomena related to a solar eclipse. Both workshops placed scientists and educators in the role of their audiences, utilizing the hands-on activities in the toolkits (see Figure 1) to demonstrate best practices in science communications and classroom teaching respectively. For example, using materials in the kit to scale the Sun-Earth-Moon system, in understanding lunar phases, and to model eclipses with ASP’s “Yardstick Eclipse” activity. End of workshop reflections from participants indicated a high degree of engagement and learning took place (see Figure 2).

Starting in January 2024, the Eclipse Stars team invited participating scientists and educators to attend monthly “socials.” These one-hour virtual socials allowed scientists and educators to meet one another and delve deeper into several topics relevant to their efforts to engage their local audiences in eclipse science and phenomena. Special guest experts shared their knowledge in areas such as spatial reasoning in learners and the use of models, the use of pinhole projectors to broaden participation in viewing the eclipse, and other observable phenomena associated with eclipses. A fourth social was held soon after the eclipse, with attendees sharing their experiences at viewing the eclipse with their students or the general public.

During the recruitment phase of the Eclipse Stars project, a number of educator applicants from outside the path of totality for the solar eclipse applied. With the project focused on scientists and educators working with groups inside the path of totality, these applications were not accepted. In recognition of the dedication these off-the-path educators have to their students, the Eclipse Stars team invited them to attend a special 1.5-hour session on how to engage their students in experiencing a partial eclipse. Nine educators attended the off-the-path workshop, who subsequently reached approximately 1000 learners.

3. Who Participated in Eclipse Stars 

Eclipse Stars Workshop Participants: A total of 304 educators and scientists from across 32 states participated in one of the 11 Eclipse Stars workshops. While educators and scientists were distributed across the United States, the majority were located on or near the path of totality for the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. Those that were located outside of the eclipse path indicated on their application that they planned to engage with audiences near or along the path. Figure 3 and Figure 4 show the number of Eclipse Stars participants by group and state.

4. Evaluation Participants & Methods:

From the 304 participants, 43 scientists and 202 educators participated in the post-workshop evaluation survey, and 48 scientists and 191 educators participated in the post-eclipse evaluation survey. Interviews were conducted with five scientists and seven educators. Interviewees were selected based on their interest in participating in an interview, submitting photos and a short write-up of their eclipse experience/event, and providing some details of the communities they served through a short survey form.

To understand the impacts of the Eclipse Stars workshops on scientists and educators, we used the following questions as a framework for the Eclipse Stars evaluation:

1. To what extent do the ASP Eclipse Stars workshops provide useful resources for educators and scientists?

2. How and to what extent are aspects of the ASP Eclipse Stars workshop and the Eclipse Stars toolkits being used during eclipse events?

4.1 Impacts of the Eclipse Stars Workshop on Scientists and Educators to Inspire Awe and Wonder

Scientists and educators found the Eclipse Stars workshops to be effective in providing the necessary content knowledge and resources to support audience engagement around the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. Scientists and educators agreed the Eclipse Stars toolkit was essential to being able to reach the audiences they served through the experience. One scientist said, “The toolkit was very helpful to have preorganized demos that the audience could actually participate with.” Another scientist shared how the workshop “made me think on how to explain things, and I liked the big emphasis on eclipses being communal experiences.” The Eclipse Stars educators appreciated how their workshop used a combination of visuals, demonstrations, and discussions. An Eclipse Stars educator said, “The most effective components to me were the use of the materials shared with us - how to use them and why you include them in our kit. Having different visuals throughout the presentation, whether they be pictures, videos, or your on-screen demos really aided in the understanding of the topic.” Another educator stated, “I really appreciated the “hands-on” (virtual) demos of each concept. It greatly increased my ability to recreate the same with my students.” 

4.1.1 Impacts on Scientists

The scientists workshop focused on providing the knowledge around effectively engaging public audiences of diverse ages and backgrounds in the awe and wonder of a total solar eclipse. Scientists found the workshops useful in talking about which audiences to reach and how to reach them, however scientists noted that what they really appreciated from the Eclipse Stars workshop was the hand-on materials in the toolkit that could be used to engage with audiences. One scientist said, “I thought the workshop was useful, as well as the online platform with suggested activities using the toolkit. The tools in the toolkit were also useful. The workshop helped me see the broader social and cultural context of an eclipse. The online platform and toolkit provided me with the means to better engage my audiences.” Another scientist shared, “The training was helpful, but the access to equipment was the best. I used solar eclipse glasses and the scale model of the Earth/Moon for all my public talks.”

4.1.2 Impacts on Educators

Educators found the materials in the Eclipse Stars toolkit to be a valuable resource to engage students. In addition, educators appreciated going through the different activities and chatting with colleagues about best practices and how to best use these materials with their students. One educator said, “The workshop gave me ideas about how I thought [it] was best to instruct my students. There was much valuable information. The toolkit was really appreciated. If I did not have this, I would have had to purchase these on my own because of school budget constraints.” Another educator appreciated how the materials were delivered ahead of the workshop so they could do the activities alongside the ASP project staff during the workshop. The educator said, “The toolkit paired with the zoom meeting was incredibly effective. It was helpful for me to receive the kit first, and then get on the Zoom where I could learn more. This allowed me time to prepare, learn, and then use the tools with teachers to use with students. I was able to demonstrate.” 

4.2 Cultivating a Sense of Awe and Wonder Through Eclipse Stars

Through the Eclipse Stars project, scientists and educators were provided knowledge, tools and resources to engage audiences (the general public and school-aged students) around the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. Through interviews with participants, we have been able to collect anecdotes that capture different audience's sense of awe and wonder that were otherwise not able to be captured through photos during the eclipse. The quotes below capture some of the awe and wonder scientists and educators witnessed with their audiences:

“I think it would be impossible to capture unless you were there, but just the feeling, the excitement and the number of people there. And to hear the kids gasping…I wish that I could capture how exciting it was for the kids. Like their squeals and their screams, when it actually happened. And I think the understanding of the anticipation because they knew it was going to happen versus if they had been there and not understood everything, then I don't think that they would've had that same experience. Because they were waiting for totality. They were waiting for darkness. They were waiting to see planets. Because then they start pointing them out. And so I think the front loading helped their excitement.” - Eclipse Stars Educator

“It was really cool being inside the planetarium with them because I could hear their questions and hear them, you know, gasp when they saw pictures of things. The day of the experience was just electric because they had all of this re-taught information. And I'm sure there were groups out there that had really no idea what was happening. They just experienced it, right, and another day done. But our kids can tell you what happened and why and when it'll happen again as a result.” - Eclipse Stars Educator

“I have sixth grade boys who were literally screaming and jumping up and down. So that would be something that you wouldn't be able to tell by the photos. And I felt like there [were] kids crying, like it was a very emotional event, which we all know was going to be cool, but it was just a bond that we all, you know, it was a bonding moment. And also just the excitement and the buzz in the air…something that was like a once in a lifetime experience.” - Eclipse Stars Educator

“Just engaging with people, adults and students, and seeing the light bulb turn on, because yeah, they've been hearing a lot about it on the news. It was obviously everywhere in the news. Where we live, the entire valley was in totality. And so it was generating a lot of interest.” - Eclipse Stars Scientist

4.3 Eclipse Stories:

The following stories share examples of how several scientists and educators were able to 1) reach new and novel audiences, 2) cultivate collaborations, and 3) use manipulatives with audiences, as related to their experience with Eclipse Stars.

4.3.1 Eclipse Story 1: Reaching New and Novel Audiences

A major focus of the Eclipse Stars scientist workshop was to think about how to reach new and novel audiences that otherwise might not be reached through eclipse outreach. Discussions at the workshops engaged scientists in thinking about new and novel ways to reach those audiences, and through Eclipse Stars a few new and novel audiences were reached ahead of and during the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. Scientists and the ASP project team brainstormed audiences and ways to reach and interact with individuals, such as prisoners, elderly who live in retirement homes, and those outside of the United States. 

One Eclipse Star scientist was able to visit residents at a nursing home on April 8th. The scientists recognized that “Our work is meaningful, and we bring joy and fun to seniors, many of them in their 80s and 90s. Most of them never had a chance to see a solar eclipse through their glasses. They are very appreciative of what we did.” While this particular scientist and the nursing home residents were not on the direct path of totality (97.5%), the experience was greatly appreciated by the scientist and graduate assistant, along with the nursing home staff and the nursing home residents. The scientist said, “They shared some words with us: "A profound and heartfelt thanks to all of you for your generosity with your time, energy, and resources. You made April 8 a memorable day for all the residents and staff of [nursing home]" We were also invited to come back for lunch with the chaplain and residents there.”

Another Eclipse Stars scientist planned “an expedition” outside of the United States for a group of 13 individuals, who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to experience a total solar eclipse. The expedition took the group approximately 750 miles away from their homes with a  16-hour drive, one way, as a group. The educator shared, “I used [the] ASP stipend in advance for costing this and we worked hard to receive enough money for the expedition.” After selecting the individuals for the trip, the Eclipse Stars scientist worked with the individuals (kids, teenagers, and adults) the group, “started a 5-session workshop for preparing them to be on the solar eclipse. We reviewed the ASP, NASA and all materials we found and also for a deeper understanding [of] why a solar eclipse happens, how scientists studied a solar eclipse and also, how to use a telescope.” The Eclipse Stars scientist went on to share, “This expedition started on April 6th and ended on April 10th, after 1500 miles driving and more than 30 hours driving, also visiting 3 cities on the way.” At their last stop on April 8th, 2024, the group had a chance to share what they had learned with others. The scientist said they provided local audiences with “the knowledge they learned around the solar eclipse and also, we share telescopes to see through them.” Upon reflection, the scientist shared, “This expedition changed my life, not only for fulfilling an all-life dream, but also, because I´ve grown as an educator, a leader and for this 13 persons, a kind of a mentor that they want to work with, helping on science communication. I find myself with new knowledge, new perspectives after sharing with colleagues in the USA and after learning about developing this whole project.” 

While the focus of the educator workshop was not on reaching new and novel audiences, one Eclipse Star educator conducted outreach through their connection with a local state park. The educator shared how they used components of the Eclipse Stars workshop and toolkit to engage with public audiences. The educator shared, “We engaged in eclipse programming through components of field trips, public programs, education stations in state parks, and programming day of. From the toolkit provided we most commonly used the measuring stick scale, maps, punch pinhole viewers and of course glasses.” The educator also shared additional materials that were used at these events beyond what was provided by Eclipse Stars. Ahead of the eclipse the educator hosted “an educational booth regarding the eclipse at our statewide facility managers conference.” At this event about 150 senior level management and executive staff “discussed the science and safety of the eclipse.” During the weekend of the eclipse, the educator also hosted education stations at the state park “with two tables of interactive educational content and three educators to engage visitors.” Upon reflecting on the event, the educator shared, “The energy was AMAZING!! Tens of thousands had come into town for the eclipse, more were passing through on their way to [other locations].”

4.3.2 Eclipse Story 2: Cultivating Collaborations

A focus of the Eclipse Stars project was to create collaborations among participants and across the group of scientists and educators. One mechanism to create collaborations within the project was through the Eclipse Stars Socials. Three Eclipse Stars socials were held between January and March 2024, bringing scientists, educators, specialists in the field of astronomy, and the project team together. Scientists and educators who attended the Eclipse Stars socials appreciated the opportunity to hear from and share with others. One Eclipse Stars educator shared, “I liked that the events were open dialogue to allow us to interact with each other, share ideas and gather additional information.” While another educator said, “I think these were helpful in thinking about different ways to approach using the materials for learning.” Other participants shared how they were able to take what they learned from these events and apply it to their audiences. One Eclipse Stars scientist shared, “Some experience on how to organize the event. I learned about the idea to organize a solar eclipse event for senior [citizens] that I never thought about before. I love this idea and I think it is a meaningful experience that I and my students have when work[ing] with senior [citizens] on science topic[s].” While an Eclipse Stars educator said, “The chance for sharing, hearing and being with other colleagues that are working on different ways, but educational related topics, let me understand different strategies, activities and way of thinking about education and educational programs.”

An unanticipated way in which Eclipse Stars cultivated collaborations among educators was by having multiple participants within the same school, school district, or area participate in the project. In one case, a school instructional specialist participated in the workshop and shared the experience with a K-6 teacher, who also signed up and participated in Eclipse Stars. The instructional specialist shared what they learned about the April 8th total solar eclipse, “I mean, and I really didn't realize how big of a deal until I attended the workshops and really learned about the full knowledge of eclipse. I've taught science, but we don't study eclipses very often just because they're so rare. So that's kind of my background, I didn't know a lot. I just knew they were fun and I knew I wanted to do something big. I am on the instructional leadership team, and so I usually do a lot of the launching of projects and big events here.” 

After attending the Eclipse Stars workshop, the instructional specialist and the educator started planning a school-wide eclipse experience based on what they learned at the Eclipse Stars workshop. The educator shared, “[The instructional specialist] and I considered the tweaks that were needed to share the skills the kids needed, [also] to understand what [the teachers] needed to teach, how they needed to teach it, how they needed to think about it…we were very surprised at the lack of clarity (from the school and school district). And so it was important when she and I worked together that when this was presented to teachers, that it was really their chance to ask questions too. We didn't want them to be guessing. And so the plans that were created by [the instructional specialist] and me, doing the tweaks that the kids needed to know were very detailed. And had lots of components of the things that [Eclipse Stars] had provided for us.” This teaching pair held school-wide professional development for educators around eclipse content knowledge and they also provided examples of hands-on activities that could be done ahead of the total solar eclipse. 

The pair also worked together to create a school-wide event where each grade level created a station, the instructional specialist shared, “each [grade level] got one of the like space objects that could have been visible that day.” As a grade level, they put together information to share with other students and the parents so everyone better understood the different objects in the sky that could be seen during totality. In addition to the grade-level stations, the hands-on activities from the Eclipse Stars Toolkit were also added to the stations. On the day of the eclipse, the school welcomed families to attend the event alongside their students. The instructional specialist shared, “So the families came out and so they had bags and I put safety information on the bags. And then we had the stations…and I had observation stations, like, every other one. I made a journal where they would stop and pause and observe, put on your glasses and go through the whole safety check.” Some of the stations included different kinds of solar views, “ I had different baskets with holes and like little dollar tree strainer, and then I just made little instructions that went with each of these activities. And so there was enough for the whole class to do the casting, the shadow.” Another station featured Mercury, the instructional specialist shared, “we put some books out too. That was one thing. So they could, the teachers could just stop and read to them and some just different books on planets. This was cute.” The instructional specialist and the educator both shared how they hosted a once in a lifetime experience for a lot of their students and families. The educator shared, “I was excited about it. And so [were the] kids, when adults get excited, they get excited. And so I just had a lot of conversations with kids. I'm in our school all the time, so I walk with kids in the hall, talk to them about it. We had stuff in our hallways that was eclipse related so that as they walked through, they were learning, they were seeing things, they were thinking. And like I said, they had the planetary, they had other activities. So really my role was to make sure teachers felt comfortable, but also delivered the right information. And I also wanted kids to get excited about it and know that what they were learning, you know, was relevant, important information about what was about to happen.”

4.3.3 Eclipse Story 3: Using Manipulatives with Audiences

Eclipse Stars scientists and educators received the Eclipse Stars toolkit which contained materials for hands-on activities and safe eclipse viewers. Scientists and educators appreciated having the manipulatives to help them engage with their audiences before and on the day of the eclipse. Two Eclipse Stars scientists shared their experience using the manipulatives from the toolkit with the audiences they reached.

The first Eclipse Stars scientist shared, “Well, by supplying the kit and saying, here's some things you can do. And it's like, oh, now I have a focus. Now I know what I can work on. And especially when I was going to talk to younger kids, and this was a way to present to them without just going through a PowerPoint.” The scientist went on to say, “I had a short PowerPoint. I showed some slides, some animations. It's like, but let's try something…So it just gave me a way to think about things. And then having this kit of stuff that was already of the right size, it's, wow, that's great.” In the past the scientist described using fruit for eclipse demonstrations when teaching astronomy, so while that concept was not new, the scientist said, “We could talk about the Moon phases, and we could talk a little bit about eclipses, stick it in front of your eyes or behind your head. And you talk about rising and setting and all that. And then they get to eat their orange. Afterwards, it was a little bonus. But having those styrofoam balls of the right size and the right density, it's like, wow, that would be great for even just talking about the phase of the Moon. They work really well. So you know, getting those and, and finding and, and just having somebody else say, here's something to think about. I've been teaching for so long, you know, I get into a rut and I try to get out of the rut, but I'm still in a rut. And so this actually gave me some great ideas of how to approach these subjects to various people.” The Eclipse Stars scientist went on to share that they used the materials between April 6th and April 8th with kids and adults and it helped engage audiences so they “could really just explore.”

A second Eclipse Stars scientist described using the Yardstick Eclipse and the NASA PUNCH cards with students. The scientist shared, “So I used the yardstick eclipse pretty much as it was intended. We had about 30 kids, and on the day I did the yardstick eclipse, I bought another set of five. So I had 10 altogether. And we worked in small groups that day. So I had a group of maybe like six to eight children in my group using the yardstick eclipse together in order to explore so mostly solar eclipses for those who were interested or who even recognized that we could do a lunar eclipse. I kind of took it a little bit further than them, but I mostly stuck with the solar eclipse specifically for that one. And then we also did a little bit of work with scale, but we did that mostly distance. So not so much size scale, but mostly distance scale so that they could start to understand that distance that's out there.” During the same event the Eclipse Stars scientists also used the NASA PUNCH cards that were part of the Eclipse Stars toolkit. The scientist shared, “I was fascinated by that (the NASA PUNCH card) because you know, during 2017 I had seen that happen through like holes in the trees and, you know, holes around and stuff like that during that eclipse. So I was really fascinated with the fact that you could have like these different shaped holes and see the eclipse happen through that. So I was really excited to have the PUNCH cards. I gave those out to the kids in my smaller program. But then at the community festival, the afterschool festival that we held at our schools, I bought different shaped hole punchers.” During one of the eclipse events, the scientist set up a station where kids and adults could punch different shapes onto paper and use it, which was a similar experience they would have gotten with the NASA PUNCH cards. The Eclipse Stars scientist went on to share, “So that was great learning experience for me that it could happen, you know, through all different shapes and, and somewhat different sizes of holes, but then was able to translate that, you know, with only like 50 PUNCH cards or however many I had, you know, I can only give those out to so many people, but realizing how I could replicate that at a larger scale was really neat.”

5. Conclusion

In conclusion, in addition to the 304 scientists and educators who participated in the project, over 138,000 members of the public and classroom learners were reached through Eclipse Stars. Scientists and educators appreciated the training materials and knowledge generated through their interactions with other Eclipse Stars participants, the ASP project team, and eclipse professionals. Without the workshops and the toolkits, many of the scientists and educators shared they would not have been able to reach the same audiences that were actually reached, due to limited knowledge about eclipses and eclipse safety, funding for materials, and the time it would have taken to create activities on their own. Eclipse Stars participants found the training and materials provided immensely helpful and made their eclipse outreach more interactive and impactful for their audiences.