The
Space Weather Outreach Project (SWOP) was funded by NSF & NASA. A centerpiece of SWOP is the Space Weather
Center Web site that was launched in 1999 in support of the 1,000
square foot nationally touring science exhibit of the same name
(developed in partnership with NASA/GSFC). While the exhibit
has since retired, the new Web site (intended for general audiences)
is one of the most comprehensive and accessible space weather
information resources available online today. The redesigned
site has a fresh new look, and a number of online interactives
that help communicate some of the basic concepts related to space
weather and Sun-Earth connections (like Space Golf and the Wrath
of Ra). The overall structure of the site tells the space
weather story, beginning with the plasma state of matter and
a thorough introduction to the Sun. Other areas of the
site continue the story, focusing on auroras and storms in Earth’s
magnetic field, space weather forecasting and research/modeling. Another
element of SWOP is the Family Guide to the Sun. The guide is an
innovative collection of pictures, puzzles, poetry, and projects
for use with adults, educators, and parents who work with kids
aged 6- 12 in informal learning settings (e.g. at home, in museums,
planetariums, nature centers, youth groups, etc). Its major themes
are: The Sun as a Star, The Sun's Connection to Life on Earth,
The Sun's "Motion" in Earth's Sky, and The Sun's 11-Year Cycle
of Activity.
SSI’s new
SWOP will include the following project components: (1) the Space
Weather Center Web Site; (2) Micro Exhibits for Science
Centers and Shopping Malls; (3) Radio Programs on Ancient Observatories/Space
Weather; (4) the Family Guide
to the Sun; and (5) Professional
Development Workshops. The proposed components cross the major
realms of science communications: formal education, informal
education, and public outreach. The proposed project is integrated
and comprehensive. For example, the micro exhibit will take
advantage of Web site interactives and radio programming. Radio
programs can be archived on the Web site along with the Family Guide. The guides will be used in
the educator workshops along with the Web site. These interconnections
serve to strengthen each individual component and the project
as a whole.
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