Solar Outreach Assistance

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DT6
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Solar Outreach Assistance

Post by DT6 »

Hi - I've tried to email the Charlie Bates Solar Astronomy Project requesting some type of assistance, even a phone call or email, and I continue to receive nothing back. I'm working with the Salem Dream Center in Salem, Oregon which is an organization that helps disadvantaged kids (poverty level and below).

We just held a summer star party for the kids, and would like to expand it next year so it is strictly focused on astronomy including a daytime solar astronomy section. This past session, Explore Scientific was extremely generous in providing some basic Discovery binoculars and Galileo telescope kits and the feedback we have received from the kids is that they absolutely love them and find they work much better than expected (nothing worse than giving a kid a poverty level a piece of junk that does not work). You can read about it here:

https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/ ... 130699002/

I know Steven used to support events like this, and while I don't expect he would travel all the way out west, I am hoping for some assistance in how to setup an introductory session for the kids (grades 2 - 12) and then give them some time to look through a good Ha solar scope. I've got a Lunt 60 tilt tune, but I just use it for my personal enjoyment and really don't have any idea how to present something to kids to make it interesting and fun.

The Salem Dream Center is a non-profit that works with about half of the disadvantaged youth in the Salem area and of those kids over 97 percent go on to enroll in college. It is a great success story, and programs like an expanded star party really help open the idea of science based careers to them. Any recommendations on how to reach Stephen or someone acting in his place, or someone who could assist on the west coast would be appreciated.


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Re: Solar Outreach Assistance

Post by Starry Jack »

Here is an idea to consider. I've done outreach for many years and online outreach as well. Due to Covid, my field days are limited now.

That said, I can stream online day or night from my observatory and all you'd need to do is provide a way to display...for about $200 you can get a really good outdoor projection screen and LED projector and I'd be interested in streaming from my observatory. If done at night, I can also stream video's I've taken of the sun.

The mission of the Dream Center looks very good.

Keep up the good work,
Jack


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Re: Solar Outreach Assistance

Post by marktownley »

What email address have you contacted?


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Re: Solar Outreach Assistance

Post by DT6 »

Hi,
I've tried [email protected] and there was one other that looked more direct to Stephen that I tried (I can't seem to locate that address, so I could be wrong). I have not tried to donate, but the donation tab still seems to be functional. From what I have read previously, as well as pictures from his outreach events, it looked like he has a great program. I'm just looking for some assistance or references to see if there is a way I can replicate that as much as possible out west.
Regards,
Duncan


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Re: Solar Outreach Assistance

Post by EGRAY_OBSERVATORY »

I won't speak for Stephen - except to say that no doubt COVID has caused many events to be cancelled everywhere and a back-log of requests for Out-Reaches is very likely.

Also there has been a serious down-turn in the amount of donations that were certainly coming from SolarChat members, so whether this could affect the ability to be able to run those events, might be an issue.

I will email Stephen and bring your post to his attention today.

Regards
Terry


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Re: Solar Outreach Assistance

Post by EGRAY_OBSERVATORY »

Hello Duncan - Update
An email has just been sent to Stephen with an extract of your post.

Best Wishes
Terry


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Re: Solar Outreach Assistance

Post by solarchat »

Im happy to help. What can I do for ya?

(Im in the middle of the Okefenokee swamp currently but I have spotty internet.
Sorry if I missed your email but I get deluged with “gimme a free scope” emails/phone calls constantly so I just dont answer them anymore. I go and find people who are participating in our various groups on social media or this site and try to help them by sending emails when they have shown dedication and cannot purchase supplies for themselves.
I am one person with an extremely small budget but we make do.

I’m sure there are dozens of people on this form that can also help answer any questions you may have.


Stephen W. Ramsden
Atlanta, GA USA
Founder/Director Charlie Bates Solar Astronomy Project
http://www.solarastronomy.org
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Re: Solar Outreach Assistance

Post by DT6 »

Thanks Stephen, and I completely understand. We are not going to hit you up for $$ or equipment. Since I work as a consultant to High Point Scientific I've got a direct line to the manufacturers and they were very generous in helping the kids out for their first star party last month, especially Scott Roberts at Explore Scientific.

I'm just looking for advice on how to connect with kids and give them a bit of fun background on the Sun for the daytime portion of next summers star party for the Salem Dream Center. We have enough Ha scopes in our local club here in Salem, OR and I can probably get some folks from Portland to come down too if needed.

What I don't have is a plan, outline, or even a clue how to put together something that the kids can learn something useful about the Sun. Scott Roberts was impressed enough with the first star party last month that he wants a "plan" from us on how we are going to structure the event to help the kids even more, so the daytime solar topic will be part of that response to Scott. Let me know if you did not get the link to the newspaper article which will tell you a bit about the event we just had. If you need more information on the Salem Dream Center, or any info about me or any other information, please let me know and I'll get it to you.

Regards - Duncan


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Re: Solar Outreach Assistance

Post by marktownley »

My advice, as someone who has been educating youngsters for over 20 years and also doing outreach with adults and youngsters for 2 solar cycles would be to get them looking through the scope fundamentally. You could get them to take a picture through the eyepiece with their cell phone. After the 'viewing' has taken place get them doing a workshop - this could be making a sundial, or, doing drawings of what they saw at the eyepiece - let them do their own rendition - don't go for technically perfect. While they are doing this you can talk about the features they have seen, and the sun in general. Just don't do an hour long didactic stand at the front of the class talk like the sort of thing that (might?) happen at a local astronomy club, this bores kids silly. You can bring a bit of competition into it and get them to judge who has taken the best pictures, made the best sundials, drawn the best rendition - put a twist on it and get the kids to research what features they saw on the sun and get them to stand up and do a mini - presentation on it using powerpoint etc, or, an infographic poster / leaflet that could be for younger students in the school.


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Re: Solar Outreach Assistance

Post by solarchat »

see Mark’s comment.


Stephen W. Ramsden
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Founder/Director Charlie Bates Solar Astronomy Project
http://www.solarastronomy.org
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