Centers

HOU Centers work in concert with the UC Berkeley/LHS HOU Project to provide professional development to teachers in their communities, build a learning community based on real astronomy, and are instrumental in the growth of the HOU telescope network that serves HOU students and teachers around the world. This document outlines goals and responsibilities of HOU Berkeley and HOU Centers.

A. Responsibilities/Goals of HOU Centers: Enhance and support local teachers in HOU. Seek funding and provide venues for HOU workshops and courses.  Recruit and support new HOU teachers. Help provide local telescopes, local science mentors, events, and other rich activities for students, teachers and scientists.  Help ensure compatability of local telescope with RTML protocols for image request, acquisition, and transfer. Participate in or initiate data collection for evaluation of impacts of HOU. Endeavor to provide a telescope for the telescope network. Sell HOU products and use any excess proceeds to promote HOU in the region. Aid in the adoption of HOU materials to local standards of education, including state and district. Help with leading and presenting at the annual HOU conference and seek funding to support participants’ attendance. Share Center successes and strategies with other Centers. Help build a sustainable, on-going staff infrastructure to reliably undertake all aspects of HOU. Seek to build HOU in any way possible, including after school programs, new age groups, etc.

B.  Responsibilities/Goals of HOU Berkeley: Assist in establishment of new centers with kick-off workshops. Maintain central list of all HOU Centers on HOU Web Pages with relevant descriptions and documentation. Develop and maintain central image request computers and servers for the growing HOU Global telescope network.  Such servers will maintain directories where image requests can be stored for each telescope in the network that are appropriate for HOU Center’s telescopes. Help interested people get involved in HOU, including referring inquiries from individuals interested in HOU to their regional HOU Center. Provide central functions, including the image request system, curriculum revisions, web services, and remote science mentors. Facilitate involvement of professional astronomers, e.g. Carl Pennypacker, with students and teachers. Hold annual HOU Conferences and provide funding to the extent possible. Provide clear cost structure (discounts) and invoicing system for purchase of HOU products through activities of HOU Centers.  HOU Centers can market HOU materials at a retail price agreed upon by UC Berkeley and the Center. Provide a press packet for Centers. Provide overall vision for HOU and make it abundantly clear to the outside world through publicity in publications and organizations such as Sky and Telescope, ASP (Mercury), AAS, NSTA. Create a certificate for completion of HOU workshops and courses. Encourage and support Center fundraising efforts. Provide fundraising materials and strategies, including lists of local and national foundations, template approach letters, support letters, advice, and template proposals. Be an enthusiastic and effective partner in shared grants and grant writing.