Surprising Outcomes
Below are some unexpected outcomes during/after Astronomy Camps over the last 35 years:

  • During Teen Camps:
    • Parents stunned that the Camps are “life-changing.” “We want you to know what your Camp did for our child.”
    • "Camp grandchildren": Children of former Campers attending the Teen Camps!
    • Children of UArizona faculty and staff attending.
    • Helping Campers overcome fears: Home sickness, high altitude, anxiety, moths, Daddy-longlegs, the “Death March,” ….
    • Helping Campers learn about hygiene.
    • Working alongside Campers to cook and clean.
    • A Camper in tears because Camp was ending soon and no one at home understood.
    • Having to break bad news to Teen Campers about deaths with family and friends.
    • Inspirational, light-bulb moments at Camps.
    • Hosting a faux-graduation for a high-school senior choosing to attend Camp instead of his high school graduation with Neil deGrass Tyson as a featured speaker.
    • Press and live TV interviews with Campers, live from the 61” telescope.
    • Real-time Q&A with astronauts in the orbiting International Space Station with live press coverage on Tohono O’Odham radio station (KOHN) with lead broadcasting by a former Teen Camper.
    • Authors attending the Teen Camps for articles in National Geographic World, and Arizona Highways.
    • Eating in the Kitt Peak cafeteria once reserved only for professional astronomers (and getting to choose the menus!).
    • Operating four Camps on the UArizona campus during major fires on Mt. Lemmon.

  • After Teen Camps:
    • Teen Campers marrying each other ~12 years later.
    • Campers initiating Facebook groups, reunions, and special trips to reconnect.
    • Campers publishing articles about Camp in prominent magazines.
    • A former Camper earning her Masters degree in education by researching the Advanced Camp and publishing in the International Journal of Science Education.
    • A Camp graduate developing a special, long-lasting Camp for her Mexican-based school.
    • A Camp graduate asked Dr. McCarthy to "pin" the officer insignia at the official commissioning ceremony for USAF ROTC at UArizona.
    • Campers inspiring their families (parents and siblings) to attend.
    • Teen Campers changing their course loads to emphasize STEM education.
    • Teen Campers choosing their colleges based on mentoring from our staff.
    • Campers winning prominent, national awards for their research.
    • Campers enrolling at UArizona to study a wide variety of STEM majors.
    • Campers becoming UArizona’s top scholars/researchers and winning awards from the College of Science.
    • Campers receiving Masters and Doctoral degrees in astrophysics and many other related fields.
    • Campers becoming prominent Postdoctoral Fellows and Faculty members at UArizona.
    • Campers becoming Directors and Department Heads at major Universities and national observatories.
    • Campers becoming technical support staff at major international observatories and also throughout Arizona.
    • A woman Camper alumna elected to Congress.

  • Staff Members:
    • Staff members meeting future spouse, including Don's daughter.
    • A staff member proposing marriage to another staff member at sunrise on Mt. Lemmon.
    • Creativity and dedication of staff members to become involved personally before/during/after Camps.

  • Adult Camps:
    • Adults motivated to return to school in STEM majors.
    • Adults earning Ph.D. degrees in astronomy.
    • Parents and children attending together.
    • Adult Campers becoming trained staff members at the Teen Camps.

  • Research and Discovery:
    • Campers (Teen and Adult) discovering new supernovae and Trans-Neptunian Objects.
    • Campers imaging clouds on Neptune through thick clouds from the LBT on Mt. Graham using near-infrared adaptive optics.
    • Campers controlling the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope, the 36, 84, 90-inch telescopes and the 12-meter radio telescope on Kitt Peak.

  • Financial:
    • Campers, and families, providing funds substantial operating funds to keep Mt. Lemmon Observatory open.
    • Donations from Campers and families: Aerobeds, Chrome Books, digital planetarium, scholarships, ….
    • Donations from UArizona faculty.
    • Sun City Vistoso Astronomy Club raising funds to support ten Beginning Campers from the Coronado K-8 school each summer for 8 years.
    • A 6-figure donation from a former UArizona President.

  • Spinoffs:
    • Creating a 20-year NASA-funded "Train the Trainer" program with the Girl Scouts of the USA as part of the NIRCam instrument project for the James Webb Space Telescope. This program trained ~400 adult leaders from 47 states.
    • With SETI and other partners, helping create six Space Science badges for all age levels of the GSUSA. These badges will be launched to the Moon on NASA’s Artemis I mission.
    • Since 1995, the Advanced Camp has collaborated with the Dudley Observatory to co-fund the "Hessberg Campership" via a local essay competition.
    • Researchers and former Teen Campers writing proposals to NSF/NASA using Astronomy Camp for broader impact statements, CAREER grants, etc.
    • Graduate student staff members writing their own education and outreach proposals based on new Astronomy Camps and expanding the Camp-model to other institutions.
    • Receiving the Education Prize of the American Astronomical Society on behalf of Astronomy Camp.