The NSF-sponsored VTIE project is integrating world-wide Telescopes In Education affiliates through a web-based interface and providing access to a library of data and resources for students and teachers, contributing to the development and implementation of Global TIE Observatory.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0121531

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Updated 26 August 2002

The NASA-sponsored Telescopes In Education (TIE, http://tie.jpl.nasa.gov) project has been wildly successful in engaging the K-12 education community in real-time, hands-on, interactive astronomy activities. Hundreds of schools in the US, Australia, Canada, England, and Japan have participated in the TIE program, remotely controlling the 24-inch telescope at the Mount Wilson Observatory from their classrooms. In recent years, several (approximately 20 to date) other telescopes have been, or are in the process of being, outfitted for remote use as TIE affiliates.

VTIE is integrating these telescopes seamlessly into one virtual observatory and will provide the services required to operate this facility, including a scheduling service, tools for data manipulation, an online proposal review environment, an online "Virtual TIE Student Ap J" for publication of results, and access to related educational materials provided by the TIE community. VTIE is a collaborative effort among the University of Maryland Baltimore County, Tennessee State University, the Telescopes in Education Foundation, Raytheon ITSS, and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, in collaboration with the National University of Ireland Maynooth, and TIE project affiliates at Little Thompson Observatory and Howard University.