Right: Families at the Festival de Ladera Sur 2024.
Social Impact and Community Engagement Are Central to Our Work
2024 has been a wonderful year full of progress and new opportunities to inspire future generations through STEM education, outreach, and community engagement. By collaborating with local organizations and experts across Chile and the United States, we’ve prioritized inclusivity and accessibility, ensuring our programs are community-focused and equity-driven.
As highlighted in the National Science Board’s Vision 2030, investing in early STEM education is crucial for maintaining U.S. leadership in science and technology. The report also underscores the importance of international partnerships in advancing global scientific progress. By fostering inclusive opportunities both domestically and through global collaboration, we are helping to create a pipeline of innovators who will drive future discoveries in astronomy and beyond.
We invite you to explore the highlights and key achievements of our 2024 programming, including the launch of Universo Expansivo, our newest program designed to increase access to astronomy education for students with vision loss. Looking ahead, we are developing new initiatives with the National Science Foundation, including a nationwide touring exhibition with the Exploratorium and a mentorship program to create career-focused opportunities in astronomy for the next generation.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the partners, organizations, and experts who contributed to the success of these programs. Your collaboration and dedication have been instrumental in expanding access to STEM education and inspiring future leaders in science.
—Valerie Hirschberg Education and Outreach Manager
—Oscar Contreras-Villarroel Vice President and Legal Representative to Chile
Our Impact
45 + Community Outreach & Engagement Events
From City of STEM in Los Angeles to Ladera Sur in Santiago, our team has brought informal STEM learning, including mobile planetariums, public talks, and tactile workshops to 45 events this year.
8,500+ Students Engaged In Our K-12 Programs
With the launch of our Universo Expansivo program, and the continued operations of our LabMovil ConCiencia, our programs have brought hands-on astronomy education to a diverse range of audiences in Chile and the United States.
12 Cities Visited
Our Lab Movil Conciencias hosted programming in 12 communities across Chile, spanning from towns near the Giant Magellan Telescope site to the southernmost cities in the country, bringing STEM education and inspiration to students and educators nationwide.
17 Community Partnerships
In alignment with our commitment to community-centered programs, this year we partnered with 17 community organizations on programs and events.
2024 marked the launch of Universo Expansivo, a new education program designed to increase accessibility in astronomy education, particularly for students with vision loss, through tactile astronomy kits and accompanying lesson plans. Materials for Universo Expansivo were developed in collaboration with Parque Explora in Colombia and Red Aprender in Chile, and is supported by the US Embassy in Chile and its network of 14 “American Spaces.”
Universo Expansivo provides two key resources. First, a tactile kit which empowers students to explore astronomy concepts in our Universe — such as the scale and relative distances of celestial bodies — through tactile materials. Second, an accompanying manual of lesson plans engages students in learning about astronomical phenomenon — such as eclipses — through auditory, kinesthetic, tactile, and multisensory activities.
Download activity guides and materials at universoexpansivo.org
Tactile Kits
The hands-on space exploration piqued students’ curiosities and creatively expanded their understanding of space. What a memorable program for our students!
—Madeleine Hernandez Manager of National and Youth Programs for the Braille Institute of America
12 Workshops in 2024
Unique Guides for Educators
The United States and Chile are entering the third century of our bilateral relationship, and I feel confident saying that our academic collaborations are a prominent part of that relationship. I am thrilled at the partnership the US Embassy has forged with GMTO, evidenced by enabling students at our network of 14 American Spaces the hands-on experience of Universo Expansivo. By working together, we are inspiring the next generation, igniting curiosity, and empowering creativity.
—Amy Christianson Counselor for Public Diplomacy at the US Embassy in Chile
In the process of creating the Universo Expansivo manual, we spoke with many people and learned a great deal about both astronomy and the importance of inclusion and accessibility. We believe in highlighting diverse abilities. Everyone needs adaptations — there is no ‘average’ human being. Embracing the creation of diverse learning experiences opens new mental pathways, making it a journey that fosters learning and sparks curiosity in everyone.
—Francisca Schweitzer Executive Director of Red Aprender
Above: Students at the Braille Institute of America during a Universo Expansivo workshop. Image Credit – Braille Institute of America.
US-ELTP Traveling Exhibit
With funding from the National Science Foundation, The US Extremely Large Telescope Program (USELTP) jointly created a traveling exhibit to increase awareness of the unique capabilities and discoveries the US-ELTP system will enable along with the wide variety of people and roles necessary to make these projects happen. The exhibit focuses on engaging students and educators from K-12 to undergraduate, and prioritizes attending events that serve underrepresented communities in STEM. From October 2023 to November 2024 reached over 43,000 people.
Above: The US-ELTP team at AAS 243 in January 2024. NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Marenfeld
Below: US-ELTP virtual reality in action at the SHPE 50th National Convention. Image credit: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA
LabMovil ConCiencia Astronomia and Mobile Planetarium
In partnership with Las Campanas Observatory and Fundacion Ecoscience, our LabMovil ConCiencia Astronomia and Mobile Planetarium brought hands-on astronomy education to thousands of students and educators across Chile this year. Through immersive experiences, we expanded astronomical knowledge, inspired curiosity, and sparked scientific curiosity in diverse communities.
Above: Group photo of students at an event with the LabMovil ConCiencia
Below: Students inside the Mobile Planetarium
Great American Eclipse Events
For the 2024 Great American Eclipse we partnered with the California Science Center to host a public eclipse viewing event. In advance of the eclipse, we distributed 20,000 eclipse glasses and pinhole cameras throughout the Greater Los Angeles area. In the path of totality, Giant Magellan also joined forces with our US Extremely Large Telescope Program partners to conduct outreach at an eclipse viewing event for students in San Antonio, Texas.
2024 FEATURED EVENT
Above: Giant Magellan Telescope scientists, Chien Peng, teaching event attendees how to use pinhole cameras to view the eclipse.
Below: Attendees at the California Science Center viewing the eclipse.
Festival de Ladera Sur
In November, over 18,000 people gathered in Santiago for the Festival de Ladera Sur. The diverse event programming—ranging from panels and talks to booths and musical shows— focused on conservation and environmental responsibility. Giant Magellan’s mobile planetarium offered attendees a unique glimpse into the wonders of the night sky and highlighted the importance of preserving dark skies.
2024 FEATURED EVENT
Above: Festival de Ladera Sur attendees at Giant Magellan’s Mobile Planetarium.
Below: Inside the planetarium, attendees viewed a show focused on dark sky preservation in Chile.
Dark Skies Preservation
Dark regions far away from sources of light pollution are best for viewing the faintest objects in the Universe. The Giant Magellan Telescope is located far from light pollution and in the thin atmosphere of Las Campanas Peak. This is one of the unique qualities of the Atacama Desert.
The Giant Magellan Telescope is committed to preserving Chile’s dark skies and mitigating light pollution in the Atacama Desert and across the country. In 2024, we continued this effort in collaboration with nearly all international observatories in Chile and the Oficina de Protección de los Cielos del Norte de Chile, established by Chilean decree in 2000 to regulate light pollution and protect this unique natural resource. The Giant Magellan Telescope also partnered with Fundación Cielos de Chile, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about dark sky protection and reducing light pollution. Together, we engaged local communities and governments through outreach programs and strengthened efforts to improve measurements and safeguards for Chile’s pristine skies.
Starting in 2025, with the support of the National Science Foundation, we will deepen our collaboration with the Fundación Cielos de Chile, and begin co-designing new education and engagement programing related to dark and quiet skies preservation.
(Sponsored by the National Science Foundation under Cooperative Agreement Award No. (FAIN) 2332336).
PARTNERS
Milky way over the Atacama desert
A Look Ahead to 2025 and Beyond
We look forward to growing our education and engagement programming and deepening our collaborations with our social impact partners. Through two National Science Foundation awards, we will focus on the planning and development of several new programs. These include a touring exhibition in collaboration with the Exploratorium to bring the Giant Magellan Telescope’s story to communities nationwide, a forthcoming Observatory Mentorship and Network Program with our founders to support broadening participation and advancing professional development for future generations in astronomy, and a dark and quiet skies education and engagement program in collaboration with Fundación Cielos de Chile. As a new year approaches, we remain committed to expanding our reach and deepening our impact, creating new opportunities to inspire, engage, and connect. The Universe Awaits! Visit our Social
Above: Families at Giant Magellan’s Mobile Planetarium.
Right: Giant Magellan’s Vice President, Oscar Contreras at the Festival de Ladera Sur
Thank You
This year, Giant Magellan was fortunate enough to collaborate with 17 organizations spanning the US and Chile. Together, we’ve advanced our work bridging science and society, and we are grateful for the opportunity to build partnerships with such impactful organizations and supporters.
