The airborne astronomy ambassadors (AAA) program is a three-part professional development (PD) experience for both formal and informal educators. The program is composed of: (1) a series of…

The SETI Institute was awarded a $6.46M cooperative agreement by NASA to design and execute the Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors (AAA) program, a professional development initiative serving formal and informal educators. The program comprises three integrated components: online astrophysics and planetary science coursework with graduate credit; a week-long STEM immersion experience at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center's Palmdale, California facility; and ongoing participation in a Community of Practice connecting educators with subject matter experts. Selected annually in cohorts, Ambassadors will undergo pre-flight training and conduct two overnight research flights aboard the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), during which they can communicate real-time observations with students via the newly implemented Skynet downlink facility.

Following their flights, the AAA Program Office will support Ambassadors in implementing local STEM education initiatives and facilitate their participation in the Community of Practice, which includes opportunities for data analysis, engineering design challenge development, and access to a collaborative online platform for lesson plan sharing. The program's organizational structure is led by a Principal Investigator and two Co-Investigators. The contract, established under the 15-SE CAN15-0042 solicitation, carries no socioeconomic set-aside designation and commenced January 4, 2016, with an ultimate completion date of December 31, 2026. The place of performance is Mountain View, California, where the SETI Institute is headquartered.

The airborne astronomy ambassadors (AAA) program is a three-part professional development (PD) experience for both formal and informal educators. The program is composed of: (1) a series of orientation webinars plus an online course in astrophysics and planetary science for graduate educator credit, (2) a stem immersion experience at NASA armstrong flight research centers B703 science research aircraft facility in palmdale, california, and (3) ongoing participation in the AAA community of practice (COP) connecting participants with astrophysics and planetary science subject matter experts (smes). Airborne astronomy ambassadors will be selected in yearly cohorts based on their plans for enhancement of stem education in local schools and other education institutions. Following pre-flight training, the ambassadors will spend a week working at the palmdale B703 facility that is the home of a unique set of NASA assets: the stratospheric observatory for infrared astronomy (sofia), plus DC-8, c-20 gulfstream, and ER-2 earth science airborne observatories. The palmdale week will include two overnight research flights on board sofia, which contains seats and workstations dedicated for use by the educators. During flights the ambassadors will be able to communicate from the stratosphere with students and informal learners using the newly implemented skynet downlink facility. After their flights, the AAA program office will support the ambassadors in implementing their respective local stem education plans, and coordinate their participation in the AAA COP that will include NASA science and engineering smes. Other aspects of COP implementation will include opportunities for the ambassadors to reduce and analyze astronomical data, develop airborne science engineering design challenges, and have access to an online platform for sharing lesson plans and teaching strategies. The organizational structure is simple but robust, with a principal investigator and two CO-investigators all experienced in science education PD, located at NASA ames research center with direct access to astrophysics and planetary science smes. Partnerships will be leveraged with airborne science researchers and scientific instrument builders at universities across the U.S.