Beth Bero commended with award for astronomy outreach as educator and aficionado
MADISON – Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Leedham Bero is the 2024 recipient of Las Cumbres Amateur Outreach Award for her outstanding educational outreach as an amateur astronomer.
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific or ASP, one of the oldest, innovative organizations dedicated to understanding astronomy, presents the Las Cumbres and other awards for excellence in astronomy education.
Bero has shared knowledge of astronomy with children in grades K-12 and the lay public. She retired in May from Horizon Elementary School and is a 34-year member of Von Braun Astronomical Society in Huntsville.
“It was an honor to be nominated and an honor to be selected,” Bero said. “I’m the fourth member of the Von Braun Astronomical Society or VBAS to be so recognized since 2002.”
Las Cumbres recognizes an amateur astronomer’s outreach.
“Those 27 years of doing Space Week at Horizon — just something I did. It wasn’t a requirement for my job as a gifted specialist,” Bero said about collecting materials, contacting guest speakers and planning games and model rocket launches.
Bero’s love of the stars led to a lifelong commitment. For VBAS, Bero provides hour-long presentations at Saturday programs, school sessions, private parties and for Scouts.
Recent shows have included “Space Junk,” “Edwin Hubble,” “Hubble Space Telescope” and “Moon.” Bero has special interest in the youngest visitors, delighting children with her annual “Spooky Skies” in October and “Stars Fell on Alabama” each November.
She volunteered as Planetarium Director and Educational Program Director of Wernher von Braun Planetarium for 12 years, along with securing NASA funding for a website, presentations and materials about the sun for 15 middle schools.
Bero continues to volunteer with VBAS and statewide organizations. Bero has discussed meteorites and locating micrometeorites. She has taught teacher workshops on using portable planetariums.
For the 1986 Halley’s Comet, she invited student families to a county park for viewing at 2:30 a.m. In Tampa, Fla., Bero’s classes watched shuttle launches, even the ill-fated Challenger, from the school’s front steps.
A Girl Scout leader from 2008-2016, she inspired Scouts to earn space and astronomy badges with planetarium shows. Her Scout troop hosted younger Scouts at VBAS. Bero volunteered as Astronomy Badge counselor for her son’s Boy Scout troop.
With NASA, she disseminated lesson plans via a NASA website, planned daytime school shows and presented at a Southeastern Planetarium conference.
A colleague will never forget how Bero and she lay in the middle of a Camp McDowell road at night. Pointing out the ISS, Bero divulged fascinating stories of constellations and stars.
The VBAS Planetarium opens on Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Bero invites individuals to “Spooky Skies,” a family-friendly show on Oct. 19 and 26. For program details, visit vbas.org.
Bero will celebrate her achievements at the ASP Awards Gala at the San Francisco Hilton in Burlingame, Calif. on Nov. 9.
