Reaching audiences big and small: holistic approach to optics outreach at the Wyant College of Optical Sciences

Abstract

The Wyant College of Optical Sciences (OSC) at The University of Arizona participates in a variety of outreach activities in all levels of the education system and the Tucson community at-large, reaching thousands of students each year. We have created immersive workshops including "D.I.Y. Optics" and "CSI: Optics - Optical Forensics". For large audiences, we emphasize "pocket optics", cost-effective giveaways such as pixel magnifiers, the Pepper's ghost illusion, and Fresnel lenses. New resources and lesson plans are centralized on an online hub, which started as a UA/NASA Space Grant project in 2018 and now facilitates instructor training and acts as an on-demand resource for troubleshooting demos in the field. We share successes and lessons learned from our outreach events, culminating in an annual Laser Fun Day, the flagship student-led event supported by the Student Optics Chapter (SOCk) and Women in Optics (WiO).