Short Title:Planetariums as Conduits to NASA's Target Audiences
Long (b) NASA Explorer Institutes Focus Group(s)
The focus of this CAN is to assemble experts from the informal education community to participate in regional NEI Focus Group(s).
Key features include helping NASA respond to the needs of the informal education community by:
§ Identifying the needs of the informal education community participants;
§ Identifying relevant NASA assets;
§ Discussing mechanisms that could be used to engage the informal education community with NASA science and technology staff and resources;
§ Exploring options to cooperatively develop instructional materials derived from NASA research and scientific activities that meet the needs of NASA's informal partners;
§ Broadening the diversity of organizations with common education goals that may partner with NASA in the future.
§ Identifying potential professional development opportunities that could be made available to the informal education community at NASA facilities;
§ Identifying evaluation strategies and mechanisms to measure the effectiveness of the NEI program; and
§ Providing a follow-up report to NASA's Informal Education Division that captures the recommendations of the NEI Focus Group(s) participants and outlines effective strategies and approaches that will enhance the NEI program.
NASA anticipates awarding the cooperative agreements from this solicitation in on or about December 1, 2004. All NEI Focus Group pilot projects must be completed by February 25, 2005 and all final reports are due to NASA's Informal Education Division by COB March 4, 2005. A NASA Explorer Institutes Planning and Evaluation meeting will be held in New York City on March 16-18, 2005. Each funded project must identify at least one representative who was involved in the development and implementation of their institute to participate in the meeting.
A NASA representative(s) will be identified to participate in each Focus Group selected for funding by the NEI Program Manager in collaboration with the NASA Mission Directorate Education Leads and/or the Field Center Informal Education POCs if a NASA representative(s) is not identified in the proposal.
[Rob Lasalvia or other Glenn folks, do you qualify as that POC?]
Note that this NOI may also be the preliminary version of the proposal Cover Page/Proposal Summary; if so, the Web site provides the user future access to update this information……This page will count as one page toward the proposal total regardless of actual length. This page will serve as the cover for your proposal.
Dun & Bradstreet (D&B), Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS). Every organization (or Unaffiliated Individual) that submits a proposal to a U.S. agency must obtain a permanently assigned DUNS number from D&B. NASA requires that this DUNS number be submitted with the proposal cover page. Potential applicants may call D&B at 1-866-705-5711 to register and obtain a DUNS number.
…Proposed Start/End Dates. Provide the start and end dates of NEI Pilot Focus Group(s).
§ Summary of Proposal. Using 200-300 words, provide the following key information:
o A description of the key, central objectives of the proposal in terms understandable to a non-specialist;
o A concise statement of the methods/techniques proposed to accomplish the stated objectives; and
o A statement of the perceived significance of the proposed Focus Group(s) to the objectives of the CAN and to NASA interests and programs in general.
iv) Proposal Format and Contents (see Appendix D for page count guidelines)
The proposal shall not exceed fourteen pages. The proposal must be submitted on standard 8 ½ X 11 paper, single spaced, with margins no less than one inch on each side and bound with a binder clip or staple. If foldouts are included, they must be folded to page size with each leaf (or portion) counting as a single page. The font size may be no smaller than 12 point. When short textual annotations are included in graphics, figures, tables and exhibits and the physical position of the annotation is important for understanding, a type size of 9-point font is acceptable. It is not acceptable to use 9-point font for long textual passages even though they may appear in exhibits.
Each proposal must contain the following information:Title:A Two Day Focus Group on How Best To DeliverNASA'sScience & Technology Explorations
To Small & Mid-Sized Planetariums.
Principal Investigator:Robert Bonadurer
President-Elect, Great Lakes Planetarium Association
Director, Minnesota Planetarium
250 Marquette Ave, #400
Minneapolis, MN 55401
612-630-6151;
Co-Investigators:Chuck Bueter
IPS Representative, Great Lakes Planetarium Association 15893 Ashville Lane
Granger, IN 46530
574-271-3150;
James S. Sweitzer, Ph.D.
Science Communications Consultants
528 North Ridgeland Ave.
Oak Park, IL 60302
708/848-2559
708/337-6717 cell
Dr. Liz Monroe-Cook, Consulting Psychologist
Monroe-Cook & Associates
1111 Westgate Street
Chicago, IL 60301
708 848-3779
NEI PRoposal
Planetariums as Conduits to NASA's Target Audiences
TABLE of CONTENTS
Cover Letter by Authorizing Official & Principal Investigator
1.0Proposal Summary for NASA Explorer Institute Focus Groups
2.0Merit of the Proposed Activity
3.0Goals & Objectives
4.0Focus Group Format
5.0Location & Date
6.0Key PersonnelRecruitment
7.0Potential Products
7.1Expected outcomes and potential for broad impact
8.0Evaluation Plan
9.0Estimated Budget and Justification
Appendix:
Bonadurer letter
Bonadurer Resume
NASA Glenn Research Center letter
Bueter letter
Bueter resume
Sweitzer letter
Sweitzer resume
Monroe-Cook ltter
Monroe-Cook resume
Great Lakes Planetarium Association
250 Marquette Ave #400
Minneapolis, MN 55401
November 11, 2004
Dear NASA Explorer Institute:
The Great Lakes Planetarium Association (GLPA) is a non-profit, educational organization that provides professional support to its members and planetarium educators around the globe. Planetariums are arguably the best conduits between NASA and a citizen’s desire to learn more about our exploration of Earth and space. Located in large and small cities alike, these planetariums serve the entire spectrum of audiences.
Celebrating its 40th Anniversary, GLPA is the world’s first regional planetarium association. GLPA is an affiliate of the International Planetarium Society (IPS) and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). GLPA’s members primarily come from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Additional members come from 25 other states and four countries. GLPA members work in public and private schools, universities, museums, astronomy camps, and portable planetariums.
GLPA has three elected officers (President, Secretary-Treasurer, & IPS Representative) and five committee chairs (Education, Instructional Materials, Publications, Conference Planning, & Development.)
The annual GLPA conference has grown to be one of the largest venues in the nation at which the planetarium community meets for educational papers, poster presentations, hands-on workshops, astronomy lectures, and networking. NASA and the Office of Space Science (OSS) are featured participants. GLPA and the OSS broker/facilitator at DePaul University have a solid relationship that flourishes today. For example, DePaul funds ten Planetarium Learning and Teaching Opportunity (PLATO) grants to encourage innovative programs by GLPA members.
GLPA has provided numerous resources for the entire Planetarium community:
- Script and Slide Bank; Quarterly Newsletter;
- Planetarium shows. The Most recent one produced through a Toyota Tapestry grant was on The Transit of Venus;
- “Tips” booklets that provide new ideas on running an efficient and effective planetarium. The newest one being developed will be on addressing science standards in the Planetarium.
- Collaboration with other institutions such as the University of Chicago to help provide two short courses on cosmology and high energy astronomy.
Sincerely,
Robert Bonadurer
GLPA President-Elect
1.0 Proposal Summary for NASA Explorer Institute Focus Groups
The Great Lakes Planetarium Association (GLPA) proposes atwo-day focus group conference consisting of small and mid-sized planetariumeducators and NASA staff. Themeeting's objective will beto identify up to fivestrategies on how to best disseminate the NASA message and explorations by leveraging the planetariums' unique interface with theirarea communities. GLPA has worked very successfully with NASA in the pastand this will be anotherchance to build upon that relationship.
GLPA will invite participants fromallsevenregionalplanetariumassociations across the nation,from several of the NASA regional centers representing all sciences and technologies, and from other relevant parties whocanfurther the focus group objective. Organizers of this conference will be GLPA officers RobertBonadurer (President-Elect) and Chuck Bueter (International Planetarium Society Representative.) Consultants to the focus group session willbe planetarium expert Dr. James Sweitzer, Principal, Science Communications Consultants, and Dr. Elizabeth Monroe-Cook, a qualitative researcher and idea generation facilitator.
The focus group will be held at the GlennResearch Center on February 17-18, 2005.On the morning of the first day, NASA representatives will start the conference with updates on its new educational directives.(This will be done in person or by a video-teleconference.) James Sweitzer will then leadsessions on the role and the potentialof the small and mid-sized planetariums today and in the future.
Then in the afternoon on the first day and all during the next day, participants will through moderator Dr. Liz Monroe-Cook:
- Collectively discuss ideas and strategies that will best leverage each other's resources and capabilities.
- Collectively select the leading strategies.
- Break into groups to develop and to write a summary of each strategy to be adopted by the entire group.
- Present strategiesto the entire group for comments and changes
- Collectively agreeon the strategy(s)for submission as a final document to NASA by the March 4, 2005 deadline.
Proposal Cover Page (counts as one page)
See section IV.(c)(iii) above.
Cover Letter (counts as one page)
Please provide a cover letter that introduces your organization and gives an overview of capabilities of the organization. This should be on official organizational letterhead and signed by either the PI or the Authorizing Official.
The Great Lakes Planetarium Association (GLPA) proposes to lead a Focus Group. GLPA is a professional organization dedicated to providing its 200+ members practical support in the planetarium profession. Planetarians are a natural conduit between the GLPA members are on the front line in advocating earth and space science education, a natural conduit to . At the interface between providers/generators of astronomical information and the inquisitive end-user, planetariums are a natural conduit between NASA and its intended audience. .
[Add an intro sentence or two about the diverse audience itself served by the planetarium.]
Planetarians are the interface between the overwhelming body of …. And the inquisitive lay person.
Formed in 19[6x] as the world’s first regional planetarium association, GLPA is now an affiliate of the International Planetarium Society (IPS) and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). GLPA’s primary membership is are from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, with additional members from over 30 states and 4 countries. Active and retired members alikeGLPA members work in public and private schools, universities, museums, astronomy camps, and portable planetariums.
GLPA has proven it is well-organized and capable of coordinating an NEI Focus Group on a national level. The annual GLPA conference has grown to be one of the largest venues in the nation at which the planetarium community meets for educational paper and poster presentations, workshops, astronomy lectures, and networking. NASA and the Office of Space Science (OSS) are featured participants, and from that involvement GLPA and the OSS broker/facilitator at DePaul University have built a dynamic relationship that flourishes today. [For example, DePaul funds ten Planetarium Learning and Teaching Opportunity (PLATO) grants to encourage innovative programs by GLPA members.]
GLPA resources, distributed by the instructional library to members at cost, include script, slide and image banks; original planetarium show kits; curriculum guides for various programs; lesson plans and activities, bibliographies and papers; a planetarium sourcebook; single concept reference guides (TIPS booklets); and an annual publication (Proceedings) which provides the printed version of the talks, speeches, addresses, papers and other presentations at the annual fall conference.
Recently GLPA, in partnership with University of Chicago, has hosted professional development workshops on cosmology and high-energy astrophysics.
The GLPA communicates with its members through its quarterly GLPA Newsletter, electronic mail lists, and its website at
Table of Contents (counts as one page)
The one-page Table of Contents should provide a guide to the organization and contents of the proposal. This item may also incorporate customized formats of the proposer's own choosing, e.g., identification of the submitting organization through use of letterhead stationary, project logos, etc.
Cover Page/Proposal Summary
Cover Letter (counts as one page)… provide a cover letter that introduces your organization and gives an overview of capabilities
Summary of Proposal
Summary of Proposal Personnel and Work Efforts (counts as one page)
Technical / Management Plan (10 pages maximum)
Personnel Resumes The Program Manager must include a curriculum vitae (not to exceed three pages) that includes his/her professional experiences and positions. A one-page vitae for each Co-Investigator must also be included.
Summary of Proposal Personnel and Work Efforts (counts as one page)
Provide a summary list, using a tabular format of the proposer's own choosing, of the names and intended work commitments (in units of a percentage of a nominal full time Work Year of 1840 hours) of the PI and of every collaborator in the proposed NEI Pilot Focus Group(s) for whom salary support is requested for each year of the proposed period of performance.
Budget Explanation / Plan
Current and Pending Support
Facilities and Equipment
Statement(s) of Commitment Every Principal Investigator, Collaborator, etc. identified as a participant in the proposal's Technical/Management Section must submit a brief, signed statement of commitment that acknowledges his/her intended participation in the proposed effort
Technical / Management Plan (10 pages maximum)
NASA Explorer Institutes proposals must address NEI goals and objectives and NASA-related linkages within the proposal. This section must cover the following topics in the order given, all within the 14-page limit:
§ M2.0 Merit of the Proposed Activity
State why the proposed activity has merit, especially as related to the goals and objectives listed in the CAN.
The proposed Focus Group will bring together two key players—NASA & Planetariums—to identify the best strategy that will most effectively leverage each other’s resources. This strategy will be based on NEI’s overall goal of exciting youth and improving the public’s understanding of Earth and space science, especially those that are underrepresented and underserved.
has merit for it specifically pairs key players (NASA centers/personnel and the informal educators in planetariums) to identify the capabilities of each and to develop a plan that effectively leverages each other’s resources and relationships. Planetariumsums worldwide serve approximately 69 million people each year. They areare the perhaps the single largest institutional providers urveyors of astronomy education to the public. They , serve ing many diverse audiences that iincludingepublic, private and home schools, colleges, general public of all ages, daycare centers, but are not limited to scouts, homeschoolers, schools, private & public clubs, artists, and musicians, etc.
and the general public. Concurrently, NASA is likely the world’s leader in Earth & space exploration. Also, NASA’s largest generationor of exciting earth science educational and space science material is unmatched. Though NASA and planetariums enjoy an inherently symbiotic relationship, together theywe lack a coherent national plan.
While larger planetariums and science museums have been able to utilize new 3-D and full-dome visualization technologies of NASA explorations, small and mid-sized planetariums have not been able to employ these frontiers. Still, they have tremendous potential to present NASA explorations in their educational programs. The question is how to best do that. This focus group will provide the answer.
In a planetarium survey paper given at the 2003 GLPA conference by Dr. Bernhard Beck-Winchatz, Associate Director, Space Science Center for Education and Outreach, DePaul University; Dr. Jeanne Bishop, Director Westlake Planetarium; and Mr. Gary Sampson, Wauwatosa Science Teacher; it was found that:
- The majority of GLPA planetaria have only one staff member. Over two thirds have two or less. Only about 10% have four.
- 75% of GLPA members have domes with less than 100 seats.
- Smaller and mid-sized planetarium domes reach more people than the larger planetariums.
- Geographic distribution is more even with small and medium sized planetariums.
- 90% of small and mid-sized planetariums have programs for elementary school, middle school, and high school.
- 85% say they serve primarily K-12
- 15% are aware of the NASA Space Science Resource Directory
- 90% say they are interested in NASA workshops specifically designed for planetariums.
- 80% thinks that such workshops should be designed by an advisory group of planetarians with different needs, and NOT by missions, large planetariums, or commercial production companies.
- 90% say they are interested in space science updates by scientists.
§ Description of NEI Pilot Focus Group(s)
Describe the goals and objectives of the proposed plan. Also explain the relevance of the proposed work to past, present, and/or future NASA programs and interests.
Discuss the format of your Focus Group(s) and the activities that will be used to achieve the expected outcomes. Please include references if applicable.
3.0 Goals & Objectives
The goal of this endeavor is to help NASA respond to the public’s interest and demand to understand more about our nation’s Earth and space explorationto through the needs of the nation’s small and mid-sizedal planetarium community. The proposed Focus Group goals objectives are: