The American Astronomical Society (AAS) Solar Eclipse Task Force's Jay M. Pasachoff Solar Eclipse Mini-Grants Program invites proposals for small grants to fund programs, activities, and events that will engage the public with the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse across North America. 20 to 30 mini-grants will be awarded in the range of $1,000 to $5,000 and a smaller number of awards in the augmented range of $5,001 to $20,000. Applicant organizations should include primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, public libraries, science centers and museums, and community groups that have nonprofit status.
Priority is given to programs specifically designed to engage meaningfully in eclipse education, outreach, and science activities with under-represented groups, including women/girls, ethnic minorities, and people with physical and/or mental disabilities. Building on existing partnerships within the target communities is especially encouraged. Programs should engage the public in the local communities via education, outreach, and/or science programs held in venues such as science museums, planetariums, libraries, afterschool programs, schools, colleges, etc. No grants will be awarded for activities limited to students in one school or that fail to engage families and the public in some way. Proposals spearheaded by consortia of science educators and organizations reaching underserved populations are encouraged.
General examples of the types of projects and activities that may be included in proposals:
- public education events, such as outreach programs at a public library, community center, or place of worship to prepare local communities for the total or partial eclipse (particularly programs that repeat, have an ongoing component for engagement, or involve something more than a single public lecture or presentation);
- "train the trainer" programs to support eager members of under-represented groups in becoming role models who will spread passion for science and nature throughout their communities;
- scientific research and/or citizen science projects to be carried out during the eclipse;
- professional development for STEM educators or community leaders serving underserved communities in preparation for the eclipse;
- workshops for local media to ensure the dissemination of accurate eclipse information, science, and safe-viewing instructions to the local community; and,
- development of eclipse resources and materials, including apps, software, podcasts, and bilingual materials, designed to make the eclipse experience meaningful for diverse and underserved communities, e.g., women/girls, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and/or non-native English speakers.
Specific examples of the types of projects and activities the Society would like to fund include:
- building Sun-Moon-Earth models to explain the geometry of eclipses at an after-school program;
- constructing pinhole projectors or other safe-observing devices at a community center or similar venue;
- 3D printing tactile displays or assembling other assistive devices to enable blind and low-vision communities to experience the solar eclipse in meaningful ways;
- engaging students to gather data on the behavior of animals, insects, birds, or flowering plants as the environment changes during the solar eclipse; and,
- forging a partnership between a community center and an amateur astronomy group to purchase solar telescopes and/or filters and build a sustained program beyond the April 2024 eclipse.
For more details and a link to the application, visit the website: eclipse.aas.org/mini-grants/call-for-proposals
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