3489 Observatory Place
Cincinnati, OH 45208
Docent Program
The Cincinnati Observatory Center's mission is to maintain the integrity and heritage of an historic 19th century observatory and to educate, engage, and inspire the community about astronomy and science. The Center facilitates STEM learning for students Kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as provides classes, tours, and events on the study of astronomy which serve over 35,000 people annually. This includes over 12,000 students from all over the tri-state, and an increasing percentage of students who are underserved.
The Dater Foundation supported the Docent position, which is a key full time staff person who greets thousands of walk in and daytime visitors so they can also experience the Observatory with a tour, and who also helps with administrative tasks and other program support. This position also assists in welcoming and guiding field trip groups through our museum space as well as showing them the historic domes and telescopes. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Observatory was closed for several months and could not offer in person programs. However, the Center was able to shift quickly and offer online programming and tours of its historic buildings and domes to tens of thousands of people. Educational resources were provided for teachers and parents who were doing NTI (Non-Traditional Instruction), and the docent helped manage these offerings in conjunction with providing programming.
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