AAVSO Volunteer Ambassador Program

AAVSO Ambassador Program

The AAVSO Ambassador Program was an experimental education and public outreach program which the AAVSO ran from 2020–2023. The goal of the effort was to grow a diverse community of people interested in variable star astronomy and work with them to spread AAVSO’s mission of enabling anyone anywhere, to participate in scientific discovery through variable star astronomy.

Program Accomplishments

The Ambassador Program was quite successful. At its peak, it had more than 25 participants who

• Conducted astronomy outreach to schools, clubs, and communities,
• Created astronomy education videos for online distribution
• Hosted online or in-person astronomy events, such as star parties, sidewalk astronomy, or webinars; and/or
• Presented information on variable stars and represented the AAVSO at conferences.
• Maintained astronomy-focused blogs and engaged with AAVSO’s members on social media.

The program impacted tens of thousands of people worldwide.

Program Closure

After careful consideration, the AAVSO Board of Directors voted to discontinue the Ambassador Program in January 2023. The decision was not made lightly or in isolation. It was part of a broader effort to evaluate the AAVSO’s programs and redirect resources accordingly. In the case of the Ambassador Program, it was judged to be successful, but no longer feasible to maintain due to staffing changes. In its resolution, the Board of Directors noted that it remains committed to the goals of the Ambassador Program, but will need to seek an alternative method to achieve them.

AAVSO Ambassadors from 2020-2023

We would like to express our sincere appreciation for the dedication, time, and effort that all the Ambassadors whose names are listed in the table below. Their contributions have been invaluable and we are grateful for the enthusiasm and expertise they shared with our community.