Total Eclipses in the Heart of Texas

The South and Central parts of Texas, including San Antonio, are in the unique position to experience two solar eclipses within the next year. On October 14, 2023 Texas will be in the path of annularity for a partial eclipse, and on April 8, 2024 will be in the path of totality for a total solar eclipse. The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) campus is in the path of both, and a research and education team at UTSA will take advantage of this extraordinary circumstance to promote STEM education within the community. In this program, the team will expand other planned outreach efforts to purchase materials and fund travel for teachers and students to attend a two-week summer workshop called the San Antonio Teacher Training Astronomy Academy (SATTAA) and to experience the eclipse. These activities and collaborations will increase community engagement and elevate STEM careers across central and south Texas, directly impacting students and engaging educators. This SATTAA workshop aims to help educators introduce STEM into the classrooms through astronomy. Not only is the science from eclipse learning connected to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), but astronomy in general can connect to the Texas learning standards. One local community on which the team will concentrate its efforts is Uvalde, TX, which is directly in the path of both eclipses. The program will deliver materials to the Uvalde and Eagle Pass School Districts and to Sul Ross State University, which will be used in a large area in central/south Texas. In that way, the program will connect the unique Texas eclipses to a lasting legacy within the state. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.