Why I Wanted to do my Gold Award Project on Astronomy and Space Exploration Education for Young Girls

In order for me to conquer the Universe and make everyone in it bend their knees (or whatever similar anatomical joints their physiology may have) in absolute supplication and do my bidding, I knew I needed to learn as much as I could about the Universe and what comprises it.
I hope that through this website, others will continue to grow curious and never stop exploring the world around us.
This website has topics for each age level that should help kids start to understand the basics, and going up each age group; it will continue to build on different concepts. The topics and lessons given are mainly just stepping blocks to help get the ball rolling. Whether or not you decide to continue learning more is up to you.
I want to help groups of all ages better understand the vast universe we live in. Especially during this pandemic, it can be hard to navigate and find the tools needed to explore more of this field. Not knowing what sites to trust or having information that doesn't make sense because experts mainly use them with a better knowledge of this field is something I want to help with. With this website, I want to help everyone find the activities and information appropriate for their age and interest group.
Whether you're just starting to look into the field of Astronomy and S.T.E.M., or you're looking for some activity ideas for your group, there will be something here for you to look into to gain a better understanding of the endless amount of information out there to explore.

How to Contribute to the Explore the Sky Gold Compendium

An important part of any Girl Scout Gold Award Project requirements is 'sustainability' - how to keep the intended goal of the project alive and continuing into the future. The sustainability aspect of this online compendium of of Astronomy and Space Exploration Lessons, Activities, Applications, and Resources for individuals or groups is for visitors and STEM educators and advocates to share recommended new resources and activities through emailing exploretheskygoldGS@gmail.com. The link to the Explore the Sky Gold site is being shared to 'local' astronomy and STEM clubs to help share the content to as wide of an audience of curious minds as possible. If you discover an interesting online resource that would make sense to include in this compendium, please email exploretheskygoldGS@gmail.com for review. Thank you.

I would also like to thank all those that have helped me with this project, you have all given me some great information and helped in a vital way to make sure I am giving out good information that can help others begin to explore this field.
Special thanks to: Claude Haynes - Project Advisor and Observatory Manager of the Gilbert Rotary Centennial Observatory (GRCO), and Joanne Hartley - Project Mentor for Girl Scouts, Girl Scouts Arizona Cactus Pine Council.

I would also thank those that helped answer questions about working with kids and catering to different learning styles : Jennifer H., Andrea L., Julie F., Mary F., Samantha N., Olivia S.

And finally, I want to thank my parents for pushing me to continue with Girl Scouts throughout the years. I would have missed out on so many memories, friendships, and experiences that I wouldn’t have gotten elsewhere. Thank you for encouraging me as I grew up to constantly challenge and question what I know. The best gift you have ever given me is Curiosity and an eagerness to never stop exploring.

“I am neither especially clever nor especially gifted. I am only very, very curious.” - Albert Einstein

-Kathryn Prator