ACEAP Network Growth Initiative (ANGI)

该项目将继续建设和多样化智利天文学教育大使计划（ACEAP）的能力。这个项目发展了一个由业余天文学家、教育工作者和外联专业人士组成的网络，他们参观了国家科学基金会在智利的设施。该网络的成员随后在智利传播与美国天文学有关的信息和资源。该项目每年将资助五名大使前往智利。另外五名大使将自给自足。然后，该项目将为大使提供培训，以确保他们返回美国后与公众有效沟通。该项目将重点关注奇卡诺人和美国原住民科学促进会（SACNAS）、全国黑人物理学家协会（NSBP）、HBCUs和msi等组织，以招募受支持的大使，帮助扩大传统上代表性不足的群体的参与。该项目将通过现有的ACEAP网络招募大使候选人，并增加对支持STEM中代表性不足群体的组织的重视。该项目将选出一组代表正规学前班到大学教育、科学中心/天文馆、天文学/STEM传播者和业余天文学的大使，他们将反映美国的社会人口特征。在前往智利之前，大使们将接受国际旅行和西班牙语会话的培训。大使们还将接受有关使用社交媒体、有效地为听众量身定制演讲以及与媒体互动方面的培训。大使们从智利回国后，将向公众广泛传播他们的经验。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The project will continue building and diversifying the capacity of the Astronomy in Chile Education Ambassadors Program (ACEAP). This program has developed a network of amateur astronomers, educators, and outreach professionals who have visited the NSF facilities in Chile. The members of this network then disseminate information and resources associated with US astronomy in Chile. The project will support travel to Chile for five ambassadors per year. An additional five ambassadors will be self-supporting. The project will then provide training to the ambassadors to ensure effective communication to the public following their return to the US. The project will focus on organizations like the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), the National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP), HBCUs and MSIs for recruitment of the supported ambassadors to help broaden participation from traditionally underrepresented groups.The project will recruit ambassador candidates through the existing ACEAP network and add new emphasis on organizations that support underrepresented groups in STEM. The project will select a group of ambassadors who represent formal pre-Kindergarten through college education, science centers/plantariums, astronomy/STEM communicators, and amateur astronomy who are reflective of the social demographics of the US. Prior to traveling to Chile, the ambassadors will receive training in traveling internationally and conversational Spanish. The ambassadors will also receive training in using social media, effectively tailoring presentations to their audience, and engaging with the media. Ambassadors will be expected to broadly disseminate their experiences to the public when they return from Chile.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.