In early 2024, CIERA launched a new K-12 education and outreach initiative: CROCS! An acronym for CIERA REACHes Out to Chicago Schools, the free program brings Northwestern space scientists into Chicago-area classrooms. During visits, CIERA members discuss their research and educational journeys, give demonstrations, and answer students’ questions.
Already, CIERA’s Education and Outreach Coordinator James Schottelkotte and CIERA Graduate Fellow Nycole Wenner have brought CROCS to three schools and one external event!
On January 31, they spoke to 25 high school students at Chicago’s Bronzeville Military Academy. The pair presented on careers in astronomy, followed by a Q&A period and interactive trivia. The inaugural visit was well received, with Schottelkotte noting that “the kids were engaged and the school would like us to visit again next year”.
Next, they tabled at Reimagining STEM Day on April 1. This Chicago Public School (CPS) distric-wide event in the Austin neighborhood brought 116 students and family members to the CIERA table where Wenner and Schottelkotte demonstrated Pocket Solar Systems and spectroscopy tubes. “The kids had fun and were excited to see [the light spectra] rainbows and do arts and crafts,” said Schottelkotte. “We found this to be a great way to reach more general audiences and for parents to see what we’re doing.”
On April 5, they spoke to 225 students in four separate Chute Middle School classes. At Chute, they taught students about the then-upcoming April 8 total solar eclipse, distributed eclipse glasses and (safely) looked at the sun through telescopes. Both students and teachers left excited to enjoy the historic sky event around the corner.
Finally, on April 20, CROCS visited Northwestern Academy, an enrichment program for diverse and academically motivated CPS students. The 16 high school students present enjoyed spectroscopy and light activities and learned how astronomers identify elements in space. Wenner and Schottelkotte also presented on careers in astronomy, which prompted engaged and thoughtful questions from students.
“A feature of this program I find special is that each visit can be tailored to what the school wants or needs,” noted Schottelkotte. “We are working on a variety of offerings that can be cut and spliced together based on the curriculum being covered, students’ interests, or school schedule.”
“I found CROCS to be a great way to give back to the community,” said Wenner. “We visited a lot of different classrooms and had the opportunity to talk to students from diverse backgrounds. I had a great time interacting with students and teachers, and I can’t wait to return to classrooms next year.”
The goal of the CROCS program is to provide high school students direct interactions with STEM professionals, provide a human face to science, and supply resources that instructors can provide to their classrooms. CROCS joins CIERA’s pre-existing array of thriving K-12 education and outreach initiatives. Both the students and teachers reached by CROCS are invited to join CIERA’s REACH and RET programs. REACH is a 3-week summer program that brings high students to CIERA for astronomy, data science and research skill training. High school educators can join the CIERA RET program to learn Python programming, build astronomy research skills, and develop their own curricula based on their new experiences.