LIGO Education and Outreach at Twin Observatories

LIGO has twin Gravitational Wave observatories in Hanford, WA and Livingston, LA. Both sites have active outreach programs but each has a different emphasis and methodology. We will briefly describe the nature of these outreach programs. We will then focus attention on the Livingston facility since its outreach program is centered on a new 9000 sq.ft. Science Education Center. We will describe the facility and its exhibits then discuss the structure of the outreach program at the Center. The objectives of the Center are to: communicate LIGO-related science concepts to the public; strengthen skills and abilities of in-service and pre-service teachers and enhance the science and mathematics skills of a broad spectrum of students in Louisiana and the surrounding region. By partnering with a museum (The Exploratorium), a university (Southern University at Baton Rouge) and a state education agency for education reform, LA GEAR UP, we have been able to quickly open up opportunities. Benefiting from our fine collaborators, we've been able to create positive impact in the local science education community in a relatively brief time span.