In June 2025, the ARISE team welcomed a group of 20 educators, students, and collaborators to the Hat Creek Radio Observatory in northern California for the second in-person ARISE instructor workshop. Nestled in the Lassen National Forest, the Hat Creek Radio Observatory is home to the SETI Institute’s Allen Telescope Array (ATA), an array of 42 radio telescopes engaged in cutting edge astronomical research and the simultaneous search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). This remote setting served as the backdrop for three days of collaboration, exploration, and hands-on learning activities focused on expanding educational access to SETI and radio astronomy.
This workshop brought together instructors from around the country, including faculty from community colleges, four-year colleges, and dual-enrollment high school programs. We were also joined by three college astronomy students, a representative of the NASA Community College Network (NCCN), and the Infiniscope Tour It team from Arizona State university who developed a virtual tour of the observatory.
Over the course of the workshop, participants immersed themselves in the world of radio astronomy and SETI. Guided tours of the observatory offered an up-close look at the Allen Telescope Array and the science it enables, from mapping the structure of the Milky Way to searching the universe for signs of technologically advanced life. These hands-on activities form the basis of the ARISE curriculum, allowing students the opportunity to engage with real science in an accessible and engaging way.
Instructors took part in working sessions where they tested and gave feedback on labs covering topics such as using the 21cm hydrogen line to map the galaxy, analysis of pulsar signals, receiving and decoding satellite imagery, and detecting active spacecraft around Mars as technosignature analogs. They explored how to bring hands-on activities into their own classroom, and shared effective teaching strategies to build student engagement.
Not only was this workshop a chance to introduce instructors to the ARISE materials, it was also an opportunity to collect feedback on how to make the project more effective and relevant in the classroom. In addition, it was an opportunity to strengthen a growing community of educators who are passionate about making science education engaging, inclusive, and inspiring to all students. We’re grateful to all the participants who contributed their time and energy into this effort; their input will shape the next phase of the ARISE project as we continue to develop an open-access curriculum that brings the excitement of the search for life beyond Earth into classrooms around the country.
As we look ahead, we’re excited to continue building this vibrant community of educators and partners. Together, we’re not only teaching science, but helping students ask one of the biggest questions humanity has ever posed: Are we alone in the universe? And what can we learn about ourselves by searching for others?
