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The Program framework category characterizes the main events and activities that take place when the personnel are interacting with the audience around some type of physics content. The questions about programs we answer are:
● What physics and astronomy content are being presented?
● What is the format and frequency of the activities?
● What kind of activities are offered?
● What are the programs’ goals/missions/objectives?
● How long have the programs been running?
● Do programs charge fees for attendance?
The largest categories of topics are all introductory levels, which may be related to the facilitators’ perception of what is accessible to certain audiences, the equipment that is available, or the pedagogical approach to activities. Astronomy topics represented over half the content, which speaks to the resources that astronomers and astrophysicists apply to public engagement and is likely a product of the history of planetariums and observatories as informal learning spaces. Content is also geographically influenced - for example, proximity to national physics facilities.
We find a dominance of a presentation format. This format may be convenient for physicists strapped for time between teaching and research and service obligations. Presentation formats are also likely to be less resource intensive and require less personnel (and less personnel training) than afterschool or camp formats. However, we might think about how impact may be coupled to format - for example, how short interactions vs lengthier interactions may affect audiences.
All informal physics programs had multiple ways for audiences to engage in content. Even for programs with presentation-style formats, interactions with the audience are an important component of informal education program design.
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