"Partnership in Astronomy"

Volume 33 number 2 (2005)

Download this article (pdf)

Mario Motta

Abstract

The “Partnership in Astronomy” program of the AAVSO, the forerunner of AAVSO’s Hands-on Astrophysics, and other school educational initiatives, began as a wish of Dr. Janet Mattei to bring real astronomy and improved science education to the classroom. It began in early 1990 with Janet and Michael Mattei visiting for a dinner engagement at my home. The conversation began with my wife Joyce Motta, a former early childhood teacher before her law degree took her in a different direction, decrying the sad state of science education for K–6 grade children. She then made a reference to my volunteering to give astronomy lectures at our local elementary school, and how well it was received by the teachers in the school system. Janet became quite interested in this, and described how bringing astronomy education to schools had been a major interest of hers, and how she had thoughts along those lines herself. Before I had any inkling of what was happening, what I thought was a bit of local volunteering on my part was about to expand dramatically under Janet’s tutelage and vision.