Free Galileoscopes for Teachers & Schools!
Shouldn’t every teacher and student have access to a telescope and the celestial wonders it reveals? We think so, and so do our friends at Astrosphere New Media Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving science literacy and education. Astrosphere has created the Telescopes4Teachers program, through which supporters in the U.S. can make tax-deductible donations of Galileoscopes to their favorite teachers and schools.
Not every school has a telescope that students can look through or lenses they can use to learn about optics. Telescopes4Teachers aims to fill this equipment gap by putting Galileoscopes in schools where they’ll inspire students to consider STEM careers — that is, careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM professionals will be critical to progress and prosperity in the 21st century.
Young science enthusiasts looked through Galileoscopes at an outreach event in Flagstaff, Arizona, in 2011. Photo: S. Pompea, NOAO.
There are two ways to donate Galileoscopes to schools via the Telescopes4Teachers program:
1. In the U.S. (only), individuals and organizations can contribute $50 (for 1 kit) or $200 (for 1 case of 6 kits) and specify the teacher or school where the Galileoscope(s) should be delivered; the school must be a nonprofit educational institution serving grades from kindergarten through college. Where applicable in the U.S., these donations are fully tax-deductible.
2. If you’d prefer to make a smaller donation, or if you live outside the U.S., you can contribute any amount toward the purchase of Galileoscopes to be shipped to underserved schools throughout the world. (Such contributions are not tax-deductible.) In partnership with the Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP) and the CosmoQuest citizen-science project, Astrosphere will identify teachers in financially struggling regions and provide them not only a case of Galileoscopes for their class, but also the training they need to teach astronomy effectively.
Educators learned how to assemble and use Galileoscopes at a GTTP workshop in Thailand. Photo: P. Pop, Thai Astronomical Society.
For more information or to make a donation, visit Telescopes4Teachers.org.
U.S. teachers: To receive free Galileoscopes for your classroom, you’ll need to find a donor or donors willing to contribute $50 (1 kit) or $200 (1 case of 6 kits) and to specify your school as the recipient. We do not maintain a list of educators seeking donations.