1. Hands-On Optics (HOO): Making an Impact with Light
                         
A Partnership for the Future of Optics Education and Career Awareness

2. SPIE Mission
Education is a cornerstone of SPIE’s Mission: to serve the international technical community by providing education, information, and resources covering optics, photonics, and their applications.
HOO’s unique partnership model—linking industry, educators, students, and optics volunteers—builds upon Society strengths.

3. OSA Mission
The Society’s mission is built around education and learning
HOO enables the furthering of this mission in an underrepresented, critical population

4. Why Collaborate? From Optics Education: A Blueprint for the
21st Century:
Optics is noticeably absent from education
SPIE & OSA must collaborate to create meaningful, long-lasting change
Leverage resources, members, volunteers, and alliances to achieve goals
Use optics to generate interest in science
Focus on underserved populations to build competitive advantage

5. How to Proceed? History of collaboration
Organizational merger  joint educational activities: Education cuts across all boundaries
Seek experts, service providers with matching goals, objectives
MESA
NOAO

6. What to Do? Develop an Education action-oriented plan
Active society leadership as mandated by the leadership and Blueprint workshops
Develop trust among partners
Frequent communication
Develop common goals and objectives

7. What to Do? Recognize Resources Play to strengths
MESA helped societies see the volunteer base as a primary resource in education
Play to strengths
Choose educational path – Informal education

8. Who Does What?
Identify roles and responsibilities based on strengths, resources
OSA and SPIE strengths lie in volunteer base
MESA has captive target audience
NOAO has the experience with curriculum and professional development
“Give and take”

9. HOO Program Highlights
Audiences
Students
underserved populations in science and engineering, middle-school aged females and minorities
Parents, Teachers, Volunteers
Strategy
Conduct hands-on activity modules, training parents, teachers and volunteers to lead activities, ultimately educating both audiences

10. HOO Program Highlights
Meaningful impact on tens of thousands of students nationwide
Recognition of optics technology and its impact on daily life
Career awareness
Inspiration to the next generation of optics professionals

11. Lessons Learned Trust, don’t compete with, your partners
Include experts from the beginning – funding agencies, outreach expert, writer
Clearly separate duties and responsibilities in the joint program from the beginning
Collaboration creates the critical mass which yields attention from funding agencies and program impact

12. Lessons Learned Long-term support
Necessary financial resources for building the foundation for a partnership and program
Total commitment from leadership and membership
Sustainability
Strong evaluation plan as a resource