Satellite mission Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) partners with formal and informal education programs to study clouds on the edge of space

The satellite-based research mission "Aeronomy of Ice In the Mesosphere" (AIM), has developed an exciting partnership of formal and informal education programs that will connect students and the public to the unique scientific aspects of the mission. The AIM satellite mission is dedicated to providing a scientific basis for understanding why Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMCs) form and vary. PMCs are sometimes known as Noctilucent Clouds (NLCs) or "night shinning" clouds because of their visibility at dawn and dusk. The visible manifestation of PMCs provides a unique opportunity for Education and Public Outreach. The AIM outreach programs will utilize the beautiful images of "clouds on the edge of space" as a tool to motivate students and the public to increase their knowledge and understanding about issues surrounding changes in our atmosphere.

In an effort to provide formal and informal outreach opportunities worldwide, AIM has developed a partnership with the GLOBE program. GLOBE is a network of schools, science centers, and clubs from over 105 countries where participants collect scientific data according to precise protocols and enter the data into a central database allowing both scientists and students to utilize the data. The collaboration between AIM and GLOBE will involve participants in collecting and utilizing NLC data worldwide. This partnership will provide a mechanism for sustaining AIM education opportunities for both formal and informal education venues in the future. Included in the formal education component of AIM outreach is the implementation of two educator workshops that will establish partnerships between the mission and classrooms nationwide. The educator workshops will be held in Alaska due to the optimal location for viewing NLCs. Participants attending the workshops will be chosen from a national pool allowing teachers working with students in southern latitudes an opportunity to experience the excitement of working with data that can only be collected in northern areas. Educators selected from Alaska will be provided with cameras to photograph NLC observations for distribution on the AIM website. Teachers from rural Alaska schools will be paired with teachers from urban schools with underserved populations for the development of online cooperative student projects. By providing rural Alaska educators and urban educators across the United States with an opportunity to partner on NLC projects, students will not only gain science knowledge, but also an opportunity to develop cross-cultural awareness. Informal education materials developed by AIM will assist with educating the public about the environmental implications associated with the mission data. The Native Ways of Knowing Project is an excellent example an informal partnership established with AIM. This Alaska based project will assist native peoples of the state with photographing NLCs for the AIM website. The project will also assist AIM outreach with developing materials for informal organizations that incorporate traditional native knowledge and science, related to the sky. Another partnership that will offer citizens lasting informal education opportunities is the one established with the National Parks. AIM will work directly with the Parks to develop education materials for their Parks as Classrooms programs. This partnership will have a long-term impact reaching out to people in an informal setting for years to come.