GeminiFocus January 2016 | Page 22

Maria-Antonieta García Viaje al Universo 2015: Learning, Fun, and Laughter! The Gemini South flagship outreach program, Viaje al Universo engaged and inspired thousands of students in late 2015. Figure 1. In early December, Gemini hosted five students and one teacher from each of the participating Viaje schools as special guests at the Gemini South telescope facility on Cerro Pachón. “Sharing what I do with local students is so energizing,” says Gemini astronomer Erich Wenderoth as he reflects on time spent with students in classrooms in, and around, Gemini’s host community, La Serena, Chile. Since 2006 Erich has participated in Gemini’s annual Viaje al Universo (Viaje) program, sharing his passion for astronomy and science. “I look forward to the day that a young astronomer approaches me and reminds me of a talk I gave to the classroom,” Wenderoth says, following his visit to San Nicolás school during the latest Viaje program in October. Viaje al Universo is a week long program that brings astronomers, engineers, and science educators into local Chilean classrooms in order to share the excitement of scientific discovery with students and teachers. In addition to the classroom visits, a variety of other activities bring science down to Earth, such as StarLab portable planetarium shows, hands-on activities for the entire familily (see Figure 3), and a popular panel discussion that shares the job opportunities available at astronomical observatories. Three members of Spain’s stand-up/interactive comedy troupe, “The Big Van: Scientists on Wheels” added a healthy dose of humor to this year’s mix (Figure 2). “It was an excellent week, and we discovered a lot of enthusiastic and creative people,” says troupe member Irene Puerto, who, along with Alberto Vivó and Javier 20 GeminiFocus January 2016