The North American Regional Office of Astronomy for Development is proud to present the Women and Girls in Astronomy Program

Astronomy, and science in general, are often considered a luxury or even non-existent in marginalized communities. This project seeks that indigenous women from rural communities in Mexico have a first approach to astronomy, learn about its importance in daily life, and inform about how to get involved in STEM for the benefit of their communities. In a first interaction, we will take a group of women from these communities to an interactive science museum. Subsequently, we will organize science experiments, observations with telescopes, and informative talks for these women and their families.

Campos de Estrellas

The “Campos de Estrellas” (Star Fields) project aims to empower young women in Tequila, Jalisco, by developing skills in astrotourism. A collaboration between ProSociedad and Tribu Cultura Astronómica, the project targets 10 women aged 18-29 facing economic inequality and limited educational opportunities. Through a holistic educational program, participants will receive training in digital and financial literacy, entrepreneurship, basic astronomy, and astrotourism experience design. The project includes a Stargazing event to connect participants with local tourism companies. This initiative will equip young women in Tequila with the skills needed for sustainable employment in the tourism sector, challenging gender stereotypes and fostering social and economic inclusion.

Chicas en el espacio

This exciting astronomy workshop will provide girls between 15 and 17 years old with inspiring and growing experiences. It was created due to the need for inclusive programs for selected young people in aerospace science in Puerto Rico. They will receive lectures from a team of professionals. They will dynamically acquire knowledge and skills to create in detail their own Girls in Space mission. Girls with low or no vision or hearing, reduced manual dexterity and/or dependent on assistive devices may participate. The closing of the workshop will be an observation with telescopes of the Association for Observation, Astronomical Dissemination and Space Sciences (AODACE).

Cosmic Connection for Girls

Cosmic Connection for Girls, is an after school workshop. In conjunction with Clark Planetarium and women mentors we aim to connect girls living in rural communities to astronomy. Our workshop focuses on training girls on how to use telescopes and utilize astronomy resources such as Stellarium and Clear Sky apps. Additionally, the workshop will provide community leaders and educators in rural Utah with lesson plans and activities to enable them to support their girls in schools and other community facilities. We will leave telescopes for rural students to use in their school and at their local library.

Discovery Science Center and Planetarium

You can’t be what you can’t see—pathways only exist if you can imagine yourself following them. We are expanding our Hall of Space, which displays rockets throughout history and from across the world, to include profiles of If/Then Gender Equity Ambassadors alongside rocket models. By displaying Ambassador posters that highlight women in astronomy, engineering, and physics, we can showcase role models in fields related to space exploration to provide visible pathways to our audience. Ambassadors will be chosen who represent intersectional identities (urban, low socioeconomic status, BIPOC women, non-English speakers, persons with disabilities) in common with Bridgeport, CT youth.

Ellas y las estrellas

Ellas y las Estrellas is an educational initiative designed to highlight and promote the contributions of women in Astronomy, with a focus on Hispanic women. This second in-person edition aims to make astronomy more accessible to residents near the southern border of Texas, particularly those facing economic or language barriers that limit their access to cultural or academic opportunities. This bilingual project strives to positively impact people’s lives by presenting the achievements and experiences of female Hispanic astronomers in the area, involving attendees with enjoyable experiments, and ultimately inspiring younger generations to engage in STEM activities.

High5Girls

High5Girls is a camp for girls 13-17 years old with our role model Ivalu Barlach Christensen, who is doing her PhD in Germany. She is the first astrophysicist in Greenland and our vision is to inspire girls in Greenland to study astrophysics. We will invite 20 girls so that they can get close to our role model that grew up in Greenland to show that “if she can, I can also”. The camp will start with an introduction about becoming an astronomer with an overview of astronomy and astrophysics, the different fields of possible research. Three short projects that the girls will work on individually to get hands-on experience include utilizing the midnight sun, counting sunspots, identifying the members of the Pleiades cluster and the lifecycle of stars.

Inspiring Girls Scouts with Role Models in Astronomy

This program introduces Girl Scouts to diverse female astronomer role models via virtual and in-person experiences. The in-person component brings monthly telescope observing and astrophotography opportunities to Girl Scouts throughout Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys. At virtual meetings, Girl Scouts nationwide will meet and interact with guest astronomers as they learn astronomical concepts. As the girls build their capacity to locate and photograph night sky objects with telescopes and/or build their astronomy content knowledge, they will simultaneously connect with inspiring role model guest astronomers from traditionally underrepresented populations in astronomy.

Month of Astronomy in the Dominican Republic

Building upon the success of last year’s “Month of Astronomy in the Dominican Republic,” our project aims to deepen participants’ understanding of astronomy and provide practical skills through a specialized workshop on handling astronomical data. We also plan to showcase diverse career paths through short talks with astronomers in various fields (e.g., policymaking). Moreover, we plan to allocate part of the grant to offer remote internships lasting three months to two physics students, enabling them to gain valuable research experience in astronomy. The workshops and internships aspire to cultivate a sustainable legacy of capable individuals who will drive the advancement of astronomy in the Dominican Republic.

Race & Queer Feminist Theory (RQFT)

The 2024 Race & Queer Feminist Theory (RQFT) Expansion project aims to enhance the existing graduate student UCI RQFT reading group, which explores the intersection of physics, history, and sociology (e.g. Indigenous science practices and feminist frameworks in physics). We will acquire high-quality reading materials, hosting external speakers, creating a website for our conversations to have a broader reach, and developing allyship workshops. The project targets underrepresented groups in physics as well as their allies, thereby seeking to build an inclusive community and set a precedent for what a productive and progressive physics department can look like in the future.