CINCINNATI OBSERVATORY CENTER
3489 Observatory Pl, Cincinnati, OH 45208 www.cincinnatiobservatory.org

---

Organizations Filed Purposes: Our MISSION is to maintain the integrity and heritage of a historic 19th century observatory while promoting the study and practice of 21st century astronomy and science. Our VISION is to be a primary resource in furthering astronomy and science education through programming: 1) for K-12 schools and the public on and off our campus; 2) for universities and classes for teacher professional development; 3) to promote the rich history of the Observatory; and 4) to strengthen our connection to allied STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) organizations.

Our mission is to maintain the integrity and heritage of a historic 19th century observatory while promoting the study and practice of 21st century astronomy and science.

EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH - The Observatory provides hands-on learning opportunities in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) disciplines aligned with OH, KY & IN K-12 curriculum standards. We offer a variety of standard and customized programs which center around the definition of science, inquiry, the scientific method, critical thinking and problem solving. In 2018, we continued our expanded after-school and summer programs for underserved schools. We provided 283 programs for 84 different schools, serving 11,250 students, 47% of which are underserved. Grade 3-5 programs directly align with state standards, while other elementary and middle school levels show the valuable multi-disciplinary connection of astronomy and space science content with other areas of the student's study. Grade 9-12 programming connects to their physics curriculum. In addition, we hosted almost 700 girl and boy scouts and offered teachers numerous professional development opportunities.

GENERAL PUBLIC - In 2018, the Observatory worked with over 34,500 people who benefited from our public outreach and youth education programming. We provide science and history programs to educate and engage children, youth and adults with the history of the Observatory and its historical work. Public astronomy lectures and viewing sessions are offered at least twice a week using historic telescopes. Our weekly Astro-Thursday and Astro-Friday programs drew almost 2,400 people. Special events explore particular celestial objects and rare, once-in-a-lifetime astronomical events; these brought almost 7,500 visitors in 2018. The Observatory hosts classes for all ages and experience levels, offering hands-on workshops for new telescope owners and those pursuing astro-photography, and monthly lecture series for in-depth advanced topics showcasing Observatory staff and outside professional educators and astronomers. Beyond our facility, the Observatory hosts stargazes at schools, nursing homes, civic organizations and other nonprofits, and city, county and state parks.

HISTORIC FACILITY - The Observatory organization coordinates with the University of Cincinnati, owner of the Observatory facilities and grounds, to maintain the integrityand heritage of this historic 19th century observatory, and to share the related history and experiences with the public through a variety of tours, programs and writings. Over 500 visitors took part in our Sunday History tours in 2018 and, during the week, our Docent has introduced over 2,300 guests to the historic observatory during weekday tours. In early 2019, extensive renovations were completed on the dome and roof of the Mitchel Building.

---

---

Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (public 990 form dataset) from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/201913049349300426_public.xml