Optics Education Outreach

Thirty-one not-for-profit organizations that conduct activities to increase optics awareness in 16 countries are sharing in $90,000 worth of grants from the SPIE Education Outreach Program this year.

The SPIE education outreach grants for 2015 will be used for such things as helping grad students purchase materials for demonstrations at elementary and high schools and developing an online solar-powered observatory available to teachers and the public.

Two separate groups at University of Western Australia* are receiving SPIE grants this year for outreach activities, including one group that plans to bring low-cost origami microscopes to schoolchildren across Western Australia.

Not-for-profit organizations such as universities, optics centers, science centers, primary and secondary schools, youth clubs, and industry associations are eligible for SPIE project support each year.

The next deadline to apply for SPIE Education Outreach grants is 31 January.

Those receiving grants are:

• Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics (China)

• Cologne University of Applied Sciences (Germany)

• Foundation of Astronomical Studies and Exploration (Sri Lanka)

• Fountain Hills High School Research Club, Arizona (USA)

• Indian Institute of Science Bangalore (India)

• ITMO University (Russian Federation)

• Life Christian School, Oregon (USA)

• Lomonosov Moscow State University SPIE Student Chapter (Russian Federation)

• Lund University SPIE Student Chapter (Sweden)

• National Institute of Technology, Goa (India)

• Optics Institute of Southern California (USA)

• B.P. Poddar Institute of Management & Technology (India)

• Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics Club, (China)

• Stellenbosch University SPIE Student Chapter (South Africa)

• Three Rivers Community College, Connecticut (USA)

• University of Arizona (USA)

• Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon (Mexico)

• Universidad Central de Venezuela SPIE Student Chapter (Venezuela)

• University of Colorado Boulder CU Science Discovery (USA)

• Universitat Jaume I (Spain)

• University of Maryland (USA)

• Universita degli studi di Napoli Federico II Student Chapter (Italy)

• Universidade Nove de Julho (Brazil)

• University of Oregon SPICE program (USA)

• University of Otago (New Zealand)

• University of Southampton SPIE Student Chapter (UK)

• Universitat de Valencia (Spain)

• University of Western Australia (Australia)

• Vanderbilt University SPIE Student Chapter (USA)

• West Salem High School, Oregon (USA)

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