Nationwide Preparation for the Eclipse of 21 August 2017

2017年8月21日，一次日全食将横穿美国从俄勒冈州到南卡罗来纳州。数以百万计的美国人将目睹月全食，月球完全挡住太阳，北美超过5亿人将经历日偏食。在这个项目中，美国天文学会（AAS）将建立一个伞式组织，由日食项目经理，资源集中网站和小额赠款计划组成，以协调和促进地方和国家活动，教育公众了解这一罕见事件的科学。该项目将利用这一迷人的美景吸引尽可能多的人参与科学的奋进。该项目将涉及科学家，教育工作者，业余和专业的日食观测者，为独特的推广活动制定广泛的计划，以达到不同的美国人口的重要部分。其目标是利用日食，这将产生显着的媒体关注，教育有关科学的广大观众，并鼓励来自广泛不同背景的年轻人追求科学事业。将特别强调公民科学项目和针对STEM学科代表性不足的群体的教育活动。将设立一个小额赠款方案，为专门针对代表性不足群体的努力提供资金，以增加他们的参与。评价计划将侧重于网站材料的利用情况以及小额赠款资助的具体活动参与者的学习收获。所有吸取的经验教训将整理在一份公开的正式报告中，并将为充分利用下一个美国- 2024年的日食由于该项目与多个NSF董事会的目标保持一致，该奖项由教育和人力资源局的本科教育司和学习研究司共同资助;数学和物理科学局的天文科学司;以及地球科学局的大气和地球空间科学司。

On August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will traverse the United States from Oregon to South Carolina. Millions of Americans will witness totality, in which the Moon completely blocks the Sun, and over 500 million people across North America will experience a partial eclipse. In this project, the American Astronomical Society (AAS) will forge an umbrella organization consisting of an eclipse project manager, a centralized website of resources, and a mini-grants program to coordinate and facilitate local and national activities that will educate the public about the science of this rare event. The project will leverage this fascinating display of beauty to engage as many people as possible in the endeavor of science.This project will involve scientists, educators, and amateur and professional eclipse observers in developing extensive plans for unique outreach activities to reach a significant fraction of the diverse U.S. population. The goal is to use the eclipse, which will generate significant media attention, to educate a broad audience about the associated science and to encourage young people from widely diverse backgrounds to pursue careers in science. Special emphasis will be placed on citizen science projects and on educational activities targeting groups that are underrepresented in STEM disciplines. A mini-grants program will be established to fund efforts specifically targeting underrepresented groups in order to increase their participation. The evaluation plan will focus on the utilization of the materials on the website and the learning gains of participants in specific activities funded by the mini-grants. All lessons learned will be collated in a publicly available formal report and will lay the groundwork for a strategic plan to fully capitalize on the next U.S.-based solar eclipse in 2024. Because this project aligns well with the objectives of multiple NSF directorates, this award is co-funded by the Division of Undergraduate Education and the Division of Research on Learning in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources; the Division of Astronomical Sciences in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences; and the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences in the Directorate for Geosciences.