Education and Mentoring Specialist American Astronomical Society, District of Columbia, United States
In this talk I'll give an overview of how the American Astronomical Society (AAS) is working to improve the effectiveness, accessibility, and equity of astronomy and astrophysics education on a national level. The AAS's new Strategic Plan and recent education-focused task force initiatives specify a number of efforts to address issues in the education and mentoring of young scientists, as well as improving the reach and impact of education and outreach to audiences of non-scientists. The AAS has an active 12-member Education Committee run by volunteers with interest and expertise in astronomy education. The AAS’s recent acquisition of Sky & Telescope magazine is enabling a new effort to adapt S&T materials for classroom use. Our projects in partnership with other scientific disciplinary societies include the TEAM-UP Together program, the Inclusive Graduate Education Network (IGEN), and Mentoring365 – all of which aim to improve university astronomy and astrophysics education at all levels.