Lessons Learned and Outcomes from 10 Years of Evaluating International
Observe the Moon Night
Abstract
International Observe the Moon Night is an annual worldwide public event
that encourages observation, appreciation, and understanding of our Moon
and its connection to NASA planetary science and exploration. Everyone
on Earth is invited to join the celebration by hosting a public or
private event or attending an International Observe the Moon event –
and uniting on one day each year to look at and learn about the Moon
together. October 5, 2019 marks the 10th annual worldwide celebration of
the Moon. Since 2010, an estimated 1.4 million people from across the
globe have participated in International Observe the Moon Night events
at museums/science centers, libraries, planetaria, observatories, K-12
schools, universities, public parks, community centers, private
residences and businesses. Event hosts along with their partners help
support and achieve global participation in International Observe the
Moon Night. Between 2010 and 2018, a total of 5,551 events were
registered worldwide. Over the last nine years, International Observe
the Moon Night events have taken place in 107 different countries.
Results of the evaluation of International Observe the Moon Night shows
that the events continue to be successful in raising visitors’ awareness
of lunar science and exploration, providing audiences with information
about lunar science and exploration – along with access to lunar
mission data and science results, inspiring visitors to want to learn
more about the Moon, and providing connections to opportunities to do
so. Each year, formative evaluation is used to make recommendations to
the International Observe the Moon Night coordinating committee to make
iterative changes for the next year. Worldwide evaluation data
collection has included registration data, host surveys, visitor
surveys, and social media data. The evaluation has been revised over the
past ten years based on evolving program goals and resources available.
Data collection has also included visitor interviews, observations, and
alternative data collection strategies. We will discuss the challenges
and successes of different evaluation strategies in evaluating the
success of this program. Additionally, we will discuss the challenges
and lessons learned in evaluating a large science outreach program that
spans across so many countries and sites.