NASA PUNCH Mission Outreach Activities: Shining new light on diverse views of the Sun with an ancient & modern sun-watching theme

Presentation themes: educational advances in planetariums, inclusion diversity equity accessibility

Join representatives from the Outreach Team for the upcoming NASA PUNCH (Polarimeter to UNify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission for an interactive workshop for planetariums and science centers that will feature hands-on training on a novel suite of field-tested, multisensory, multicultural activities around the theme of ancient and modern sun watching. PUNCH Outreach has developed these activities in collaboration with scientists, Native American & Hispanic youth and families, Blind and Low Vision learners, and the Girls Scouts. They are expressly designed for use in tabletop activities and for use within full dome theaters to engage the public around eclipses and other Sun-related outreach events. Activities include Seeing the Sun's Corona with your Hands, Solar Corona Inquiry for Blind and Low Vision Learners, Birthday Sunrises on a Chaco Canyon Horizon, Dancing Up a Solar Storm, and use of 3-Hole PUNCH Pinhole Projectors and PUNCH Team Cards. 

This workshop will equip participants to facilitate Sun-related event in spaces inside and outside of their full dome theaters, to enhance participant confidence and capacity for collaborating with historically marginalized populations, and to provide hands-on experience implementing research-based best practices for public engagement. Activity guides and materials are available for download at https://punch.space.swri.edu/punch_outreach_products.php.

Image © Arena Berlin