Technology to scale up diversity in astronomy education

TL;DR

This paper discusses the transition of the San Antonio Teacher Training Astronomy Academy to an online format, enabling broader, more diverse participation and international collaboration in astronomy education professional development.

Contribution

It introduces a scalable online model for astronomy education training that enhances diversity and broadens geographic reach, including international facilitation.

Findings

Expanded participant diversity from local to state-wide

Facilitation team grew from local to international

Online format increased accessibility and inclusivity

Abstract

The San Antonio Teacher Training Astronomy Academy (SATTAA) completed its fourth annual iteration in June 2021 . While the program began as a face-to-face professional development opportunity for future and current school teachers, it transitioned to a fully online opportunity in 2020. In our efforts to offer an astronomy education program that is inclusive and particularly attentive to highly diverse populations, the transition to online programming became a core aspect of scaling up the program. The 2021 iteration featured an international facilitation team, and, for the first time, supported teachers from across the State of Texas. In this paper, we share data on how the facilitation team transitioned from a local to an international group, and on how the participant pool expanded from local to state-wide.