Understanding the Audiences of Informal Physics Programs

Informal physics programs create learning environments that bring together physicists, physics students, and public audiences in a variety of formats, including demo shows, summer camps, and open houses. However, the program formats alone do not reveal the important underlying factors crucial for the design and implementation of informal physics activities. In our qualitative research study, we conducted surveys, interviews with lead program facilitators, and site visits to multiple programs to investigate critical functional aspects of informal physics programs. We analyzed the data to find key themes and challenges present within the programs. After deep analysis of aspects concerning the personnel comprising the programs, we shift our focus to the aspects of informal physics programs surrounding their audiences. Here, we present our current findings regarding informal physics audiences and discuss our future work in developing tools for program facilitators to assess their programs.