Calendar in the Sky workshop

From Bryan Mendez of the UC Berkeley Center for Science Education, FYI…

You are invited to apply for the Calendar in the Sky workshop on April 30-May 1, 2012 at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The application is at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9GBYCFP and the deadline to apply is April 6, 2012 (acceptance notifications will be made on April 9th).

Calendar in the Sky (www.calendarinthesky.org) is a NASA-funded project led by the UC Berkeley Center for Science Education at the Space Sciences Laboratory to engage the American public, particularly Latino audiences, in NASA science (space exploration, astronomy, planetary and Earth sciences, etc.) via the broad interest in Maya culture.

This project emphasizes the interplay of science and culture embodied by Maya calendars and addresses misconceptions about the Maya. It also uses NASA resources to inform the public about the astronomical basis of the Maya calendar system and dispels misconceptions about the year 2012.

We are providing free professional development trainings for educators in informal settings to:

1) increase their familiarity in Calendar in the Sky topics and resources,
2) learn about and share best practices in public programming for Latinos in informal settings,
3) get ideas for an informal education event or program around astronomy, Maya culture and the year 2012, and
4) create opportunities for networking between participants (especially with Latino community members), allowing for future interactions and/or collaborations.

These trainings are intended for educators from a broad range of venues: museums, science centers, community leaders, parks, astronomical societies, Latino cultural or community organizations, libraries, etc. During the workshop, participants will interact with experts in NASA science and Maya astronomy and culture.

This 2-day workshop will be held April 30-May 1, 2012, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the American Museum of Natural History. Lunch and snacks will be provided. The workshop is free of charge. Travel funding is not available and we will be giving preference to local applicants