image: The Allen Telescope Array at Hat Creek Radio Observatory.
Credit: Luigi Cruz
SETI Institute Launches ARISE Lab, Bringing SETI and Radio Astronomy to Community Colleges
April 22, 2025, Mountain View, CA – The SETI Institute announced it will expand its pilot program funded through a grant from the Amateur Radio and Digital Communication (ARDC) Foundation now called ARISE Lab (arise.seti.org). This initiative brings SETI science to community colleges and provides hands-on training for community college instructors and students in astronomy, digital signal processing, and radio science.
"Hands-on experiences are proven to improve student engagement and retention," said Dr. Vishal Gajjar, project lead and radio astronomer at the SETI Institute. "With ARISE, we’re combining cost-effective tools like GNU Radio with one of the most captivating topics in science — the search for life beyond Earth — to spark curiosity and build skills across STEM disciplines.”
Led by Gajjar, the team has developed an experiential learning technique (ELT) curriculum. Students work with real-time radio telescope data from the SETI Institute’s Allen Telescope Array (ATA), the world’s first and only radio observatory designed specifically to search for technosignatures. They learn to identify and analyze signals from real astrophysical sources.
The ARISE curriculum includes modules and labs. Modules include lecture notes, slides, pre-lab readings, lab manuals, instructor notes, and teaching resources designed to integrate into an existing course. Labs are standalone activities that include a lab manual and pre-lab reading and can be used independently or paired with an instructor’s materials.
After last year’s successful pilot that included a workshop at Hat Creek Radio Observatory (HCRO), home of the ATA in Northern California, the team will expand the program with:
- 15 additional labs on astronomy, digital communications, signal modulations, and data science
- 2 hands-on workshops at HCRO to train community college instructors
- On-site lab sessions at 10 community colleges to support classroom implementation
Research shows that SETI is one of the most compelling science topics for students. By grounding technical concepts in the context of the search for life beyond Earth, ARISE taps into their curiosity about extraterrestrial life.
“Whether it’s detecting a signal from a Mars orbiter or analyzing pulsar data, students are gaining real experience with tools used in both professional astronomy and industries,” said Joel Earwicker, the project’s lead research assistant. “It’s about making science feel real, relevant, and achievable.”
The SETI Institute will host an in-person ARISE Lab workshop at the HCRO from June 25–27, 2025 for the selected group of six community college instructors. The program will provide travel and lodging support for selected participants. During the workshop, they will explore the telescope site, participate in live observations, test lab activities, and collaborate with fellow educators.
Community college instructors interested in attending the workshop can apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe14k_-kUnJGxGg5j8KQWdDThUxM1H_CI84IezpwgJdOlYz7Q/viewform?usp=sharing.
The application deadline is May 13, 2025.
In addition to the in-person workshop at the ATA, there will also be virtual workshops on the first Monday of every month, 11 AM - 12 PM PDT, beginning on June 2nd. These monthly events will allow instructors to hear about new labs, share how they have implemented or plan to implement the ARISE curriculum in their classes and create a community of collaboration between instructors. Instructors can sign up from the Events page on the website to get regular updates on these virtual and in-person meetings.
The ARISE curriculum is available at arise.seti.org.
About the SETI Institute
Founded in 1984, the SETI Institute is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary research and education organization whose mission is to lead humanity's quest to understand the origins and prevalence of life and intelligence in the universe and to share that knowledge with the world. Our research encompasses the physical and biological sciences and leverages expertise in data analytics, machine learning and advanced signal detection technologies. The SETI Institute is a distinguished research partner for industry, academia and government agencies, including NASA and NSF.
Contact information
Rebecca McDonald
Director of Communications
SETI Institute
rmcdonald@seti.org