Notes from the “Ameri-Corner” 

By Amelia Gross

I was lucky to arrive at Mount Washington Observatory in late May just as the last bit of snow was melting and the Sherman Adams Summit Building was opening to the public. Given the short window of time between the facilities on the summit opening and the school year ending, over a dozen field trips were squeezed into my first month as an AmeriCorps Educator. Nearly 600 students later, I gained confidence in my knowledge of extreme weather and understood I was in for a whirlwind few months here at the Obs.

The Education Team leading a field trip with Dublin School.

School field trips quickly became camp programs, and before we knew it, the Observatory’s first ever summer camp was here. Since this camp was brand new, filling a full week of activities for our middle school campers was a daunting task for me and Amy, MWOBS Lead Educator. We talked at length about balancing learning with fun (the “silly to serious ratio” as we named it), prepared for a diversity of interests and learning styles, and crossed our fingers that the “Home of the World’s Worst Weather” would cooperate. Thankfully, after meeting the first group of Storm Scouts, our fears were eased, and I can confidently say working with the campers was a highlight of my time here at the Observatory.

Seeing the kids get so pumped about filming their own forecast, running around in 40 mile per hour wind speeds, and using their very own weather instruments was something I won’t forget. I am proud to say that they came away from camp with new knowledge, happy memories and one Scout declaring, “Today was longer than school, but it felt so much shorter because learning was actually fun!”

Showing Storm Scouts the precipitation can.

Although it wasn’t always easy to teach large groups, or work with brand new kids each week, I am proud of the growth I have made as an educator and the connections I built with students. I hope they can look back on their field trip and feel excited to keep learning about weather, STEM in general, and maybe even grow up to be environmental stewards.

Two students from Henry Wilson Memorial School holding their anemometers (on a 130-mile visibility perfect day I may add!)

Of course, none of this would be possible without the incredibly hard-working dedicated full-time teachers who spend all day teaching and inspiring these students. They do a job that few of us could handle, and it reminds me to be grateful for all the teachers who helped me love science and guided me to a career focused on the environment.

While I am on the thread of being grateful, I can’t thank everyone at the Observatory enough for their support and guidance during my term. The Education team welcomed me with open arms, naming my cubicle “Amelia’s Ameri-Corner”, and always found the time to teach me about meteorology, effective education, and what it truly means to be “extreme.” Time spent on the summit was made fun by the wonderful shift members, and I am thankful to the External Affairs Department for letting me help with communications projects and of course, for their support testing out very complicated, highly technical weather card games.

Me (right) with the Education team: School Programs Coordinator Jackie Bellefontaine (left) and Lead Educator Amy Cotter (middle).

I’m sad to say I have built my last DIY anemometer, but I am excited to see what is to come for the Observatory, and I know I will be back (at the very least to ride the snowcat!).

To learn more about AmeriCorps School Program Educator opportunities with MWOBS, visit this page.