ROCHESTER, NY, March 23, 2023 – In preparation for the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, the RMSC is launching its first ever RMSC Community Eclipse Ambassador Program.
The Ambassador program aims to excite and educate the community about the total solar eclipse and distribute STEM learning into communities, creating access to this natural phenomenon for all. The RMSC invited community-serving organizations across the region to apply to participate in the program to help educate communities hyper-locally. There were over 150 applications submitted.
RMSC Community Eclipse Ambassadors will be trained in eclipse education, basic astronomy, and eclipse viewing safety. For their organizations, Ambassadors will be outfitted with equipment including: a telescope with a solar viewing filter, educational materials, solar viewing glasses, and materials for activities.
Participants represent community organizations, businesses, or municipalities as well as serve people within Rochester and the nine counties (Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates).
“We were thrilled to see so many applications flooding in to support the Eclipse Ambassador Program,” said Daniel Schneiderman, Eclipse Partnerships Coordinator at the RMSC. “All of these organizations will have an incredible impact as we prepare our communities for next year.”
The Full List of the RMSC Community Eclipse Ambassador Organizations:
441 Ministries
490 Farmers
Autism Up
B. E.R.R! Build, Educate, Rise, and Restore!
BluePrint Geneva
Cameron Community Ministries
City of Rochester Recreation and Human Services
Corn Hill Waterfront and Navigation Foundation/Sam Patch & Riverie Tour Boats
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County
CP Rochester
Earthworks
East House
Finger Lakes Museum and Yates County Chamber of Commerce
Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance
FIRST Robotics X-Cats team191
Ganondagan State Historic Site
Gates Chili Middle School – The Outdoor Club
Genesee Country Village & Museum
Genesee County Parks, Recreation & Forestry
George Eastman Museum
Girl Scouts of WNY
GRASA Greater Rochester Afterschool & Summer Alliance
Grupo Cultural Latinos en Rochester
Hansen Nature Center/Tinker Nature Park
Helmer Nature Center
Hilton Parma Hamlin Chamber of Commerce
Hipocampo Children’s Books
House of Mercy
IBERO
Islamic Center of Rochester- Westfall Academy
Justice and Care for Creation committee of the Sisters of St Joseph of Rochester
Laughing Gull Chocolates
Lollypop Farm Humane Society of Greater Rochester
Monroe County Library System (MCLS)
Monroe County Parks
National Technical Institute of the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology
OWWL Library System
Perinton Memorial Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8495
Rochester Women’s Network
Scouts BSA, Seneca Waterways
South East Area Coalition
St. Bernards Tenant Associations
St. John’s
Sweet Ida Mae Pantry
Temple Emanu El
The Beat 105.5 FM
The Community Place
Town of Perinton Community Center
United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes
WXXI Education
YMCA of Greater Rochester
YWCA of Rochester & Monroe County
The RMSC is looking forward to working with the Eclipse Ambassadors to spread the word about this natural phenomenon and garner excitement for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse in Rochester! For more information, click here.
Science Sandbox, an initiative of The Simons Foundation, generously supports this program.
The mission of the RMSC is to inspire a better future for all through curiosity, exploration, and participation in science, culture, and the natural world. The RMSC includes the RMSC Museum & Science Center, the RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium, and the RMSC Cumming Nature Center. Offering experiences at the Museum & Science Center with more than 200 interactive exhibits, the Planetarium with a 65-foot dome screen and several hands-on exhibits, and the Nature Center on 900 acres of land and 14 miles of trails, the RMSC stimulates community interest in exploration. In addition, the more than 1.2 million RMSC collection items tell the story of the Rochester Region’s past and present, including its rich history of social and technological innovation. RMSC receives major funding from Monroe County, where it is one of the top five most visited attractions serving children and families.
For more information about the RMSC, visit rmsc.org. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
Please contact Lyndsay Houghton if you plan on attending an RMSC event, or would like to receive free admission for a story and/or photography. This ensures that the appropriate personnel will be available on the day of your visit.