Introduction

Like many research institutions, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysicsf (CfA), has been actively engaged in education and public outreach activities for many years. The Harvard University Department of Astronomy, the formal higher education arm of the CfA, offers an undergraduate concentration and a doctoral program. In our Science Education Department, educational researchers manage ten programs that address the needs of teachers and students (K–12 and college), through advanced technology, teacher enhancement programs, and the development of curriculum materials. The Editorial and Public Affairs Department offers several public lecture series, recorded sky information, children's nights, and runs the Whipple Observatory Visitors Center in Amado, AZ. In this environment of successful programs, the High Energy Astrophysics (HEA) division, one of seven research divisions at the CfA, has initiated, or partnered with other institutions, development of several new education and outreach programs. Some of these programs involve partnerships with the education community, but all of them have been initiated by and involve scientists.

Astronomical research in the HEA division is mainly focused on x-ray astronomy and the development of advanced x-ray instrumentation. Historically, involvement in education and outreach programs, including presenting public talks, school talks, the development of slides sets, and the publication of popular articles, has been informal. With management support, however, this long-lived tradition of informal education and outreach recently has coalesced into several formal programs that target three specific groups: college students, K–12 students and teachers, and the general public.