Coordinates
29°02'54.0"S 70°41'01.0"W -29.048333, -70.683611
Social Impact
Social impact and community engagement are at the core of the Giant Magellan Telescope’s work. We are taking a leading role in inclusive and accessible STEM education and outreach programs in the United States and Chile. Through a community-based approach, we partner with local communities and leading organizations to co-develop equity-driven programs that broaden participation in STEM. Here is our impact in 2023:
Our Impact
+4000 Students & +230 Teachers
We’ve brought hands-on inclusive astronomy education to over 4000 students and 230 teachers through over 80 teacher training workshops and visits to 30+ rural public schools across 8 regions in Chile.
+20 Community Events
From Astronomy Day in Chile to City of STEM festival in Los Angeles, California, our team has brought informal STEM learning, including a mobile planetarium and virtual reality telescope tours, to over 25 community-based events.
32,000 People Reached
We’ve engaged with over 32,000 people through our social impact programs. Ranging from public events and conferences to hands-on education tools for K-12 students, we are reaching a diverse group of communities.
Bridging Art and Science
This year, we’ve partnered with Antenna Foundation to launch our inaugural annual Art & Astronomy Contest. This year's theme, Extrasolar, invites digital artists to imagine worlds beyond our solar system.
Our Approach
The mission of our collective social impact programs is to enhance interest, literacy, diverse participation and sustainability in STEM. Our approach to social impact is deeply rooted in our belief in the power of collaboration and partnership. We understand that advancing interest, literacy and participation in STEM requires the collective efforts of various stakeholders, and therefore, we actively seek out opportunities to collaborate with leading experts and community members. Through meaningful collaboration, we aim to make a tangible and lasting difference in the communities we are a part of.
In the Community
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Solar telescope activities with our traveling astronomy laboratory, the Lab Móvil ConCiencias. Image credit: Juan Pablo Fernández Carter
Astronomy activities inside our traveling astronomy laboratory, the Lab Móvil ConCiencias. Image credit: Juan Pablo Fernández Carter
Our pop-up planetarium brings an inspiring and educational experience to events across Chile. Pictured here at Kidzapalooza 2023. Image credit: Valentina Osnovikoff
Our pop-up planetarium brings an inspiring and educational experience to events across Chile. Pictured here at Kidzapalooza 2023. Image credit: Valentina Osnovikoff
Software and Controls Manager, Marianne Cox, sharing her personal journey in STEM and her role at Giant Magellan with 50 girls in Coquimbo at our Girls in STEM event hosted with the U.S Embassy in Chile. Image credit: Pablo Izquierdo
Software and Controls Manager, Marianne Cox, sharing her personal journey in STEM and her role at Giant Magellan with 50 girls in Coquimbo at our Girls in STEM event hosted with the U.S Embassy in Chile. Image credit: Pablo Izquierdo
Solar telescope activities with our traveling astronomy laboratory, the Lab Móvil ConCiencias. Image credit: Juan Pablo Fernández Carter
Systems Engineering Manager, Brian Walls, engages with youth at the Los Angeles City of STEM festival. Image credit: Damien Jemison, Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation
Youth engage with our teams' scientists and engineers at outreach events to learn about optics and the making of giant mirrors. Image credit: Damien Jemison, Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation
Our Programs
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Community OutreachOur community outreach program is a dynamic initiative that spans the United States and Chile. Through public events including experiences ranging from pop-up planetariums to virtual-reality telescope tours, this program aims to inspire people of all ages and backgrounds through the wonders of astronomy and the exciting future of the Giant Magellan Telescope.
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Inclusive Astronomy EducationIn collaboration with Fundación Ecoscience and Las Campanas Observatories, and with support from the US Embassy in Chile, our flagship K-12 Education Program provides thousands of Chilean K-12 students hands-on astronomy education through our LabMóvil ConCiencia Astronomía. The LabMóvil travels around Chile to remote and underserved communities.
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Art and AstronomyScience and art come together with Extrasolar, the first Chilean digital art contest that invites both the youth and adults to imagine what the universe is like beyond our solar system. The initiative – driven by Fundación Antenna and the Giant Magellan Telescope – seeks to promote the relationship between astronomy and art through creativity, to visualize distant exoplanets.
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Science Community EngagementOur science community engagement program enables astronomy students, observers, theorists, and instrumentalists to learn about, and engage with the Giant Magellan Telescope teams. Events include our annual Community Science Meeting, as well as public talks, booths and open houses at scientific conferences like the bi-annual American Astronomical Society meetings.
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Dark Skies PreservationChile is the best astronomical location in the world, due to its incredible dark and clear skies. By 2030, nearly 70% of the world’s astronomical infrastructure will be in Chile. The Giant Magellan Telescope is a founding member of the Fundación Cielos de Chile (FCC), an organization dedicated to protecting the dark skies of Northern Chile. We are long-time supporters and collaborators with the Oficina de Protección de los Cielos de Chile (OPCC). Together with government officials, the FCC and the OPCC work to establish periodic improvements to the Norma Lumínica, the regulatory body for public and other open spaces illumination, and astronomy-friendly fixtures.
