Inquiry-based, hands-on
Hands-On Optics (HOO) helps kids learn by doing, making discoveries, and thinking like scientists. It nurtures their spirit of adventure and increases their knowledge of science and technology.
It opens the world of optics as a discipline and potential career path…and broadens their perception of what science is about. It integrates a wide range of subjects—from biology and art to technology and engineering—to excite students about science, math, and learning.
Reaching underserved elementary and middle-school students
In a world filled with the products of scientific inquiry, scientific literacy has become a necessary for all students. The HOO program strives to meet that need by providing professional development and resources where they’re needed most.
We have partnered with teachers around the country. Science centers also make extensive use of HOO materials. We are also proud of our partnerships with the South Tucson Boys and Girls Club and the Sells Boys and Girls Club.
HOO encourages kids to succeed in science and math…. and have fun doing it!
Hands-On Optics in the News
The Arizona Daily Star ran a story about the 2009 Optics Festival at St.Michael's School in Tucson.
Hands-On Optics is running programs at Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the state of Arizona thanks to support from Science Foundation Arizona.
NOAO Manager of Science Education Stephen Pompea gave two invited papers in October at the International Workshop on Science Education in School in Bucharest, Romania in October of 2007.
Hands-On Optics has received a grant from the Science Foundation Arizona to bring Hands-On Optics to Boys and Girls Clubs around the state.
The Arizona Daily Star published articles about the 2007 MESA competition, listing results for both the High School Hit the Target Competition and the Middle School Hit the Target Competition.
Hands-On Optics Co-PI Stephen Pompea gave an invited talk on Hands-On Optics at the Education and Training in Optics and Photonics (ETOP) 2007 conference held in Ottawa from June 3rd - 5th, 2007.
The Arizona Daily Star ran a story on our 2007 Optics Festival at St. Michael's in Tucson.
The September/October 2006 issue of Dimensions featured an article on Hands-On Optics.
Hands-On Optics was recently featured on the web site of the National Science Foundation.
The Arizona Daily Star ran a story on Hands-On Optics at the South Tucson Boys and Girls Club in October of 2006.
Kushwinder Gill, a Hands-On Optics teacher, and her Optics Resource Volunteer, Sam Stone, were featured in The Record in October of 2005.
A unique alliance of three organizations taps the resources of each to forge links from the professional optics community to the informal science education community.
An educational collaboration of OSA, SPIE, and NOAO, sponsored by the National Science Foundation.