The Mount Washington Observatory Travelling Outreach Programs

In 1998, the Mount Washington Observatory, through a generous grant from NOAA, began a new, multifaceted approach to weather education. In addition to construction of the first hands-on museum devoted entirely to weather-- the Weather Discovery Center in North Conway, NH-- the Observatory has devoted its resources to developing new ways of understanding weather, to enable a wider audience to learn how the atmosphere works. The Observatory has designed more than a dozen weather "classes", as well as weather training for teachers, and outreach for the general public through live programs and the Internet.

This presentation will look at the interactive methods used in the weather programs, and why such a combination is necessary to reach those with alternate learning styles. In addition to hands-on use of observation tools, some of these methods include participatory weather games, demonstrations, utilizing the Internet (including the Observatory's own website), and the use of audio and film recording.

The program will be presented by Bryan Yeaton, B.A., M.A.T., the Observatory's Education Outreach Coordinator. Mr. Yeaton has seventeen years of teaching experience in the public and private classroom, as well as non-traditional settings.