AASTA is a non-profit educational organization based in southeastern Washington State.  We are engaged at all levels within the State's educational system, providing the resources, expertise, and personal interactions to effectively foster the future generation of scientists, engineers, and policy makers now enrolled in our schools.

We know that a healthy society is an educated society.  We also recognize that, as a society, we are beginning to experience a significant shortage of qualified scientists and engineers.  This shortage, if allowed to grow, will have serious and lasting consequences for our nation's security, our economic well-being, the availability of natural resources, and our quality of life.

The science of astronomy holds a tremendous appeal to all ages.  And because it incorporates those fundamental aspects of mathematics and the physical and life sciences, a well-guided and purpose-driven inclusion of astronomy in our curricula provides an extraordinarily powerful context within which these other sciences may be learned and appreciated.

We do not wish to make astronomers out of everyone; we don't even wish to make scientists out of everyone.  We do wish to provide our students all the tools and resources we can so that they are able to make rational and informed decisions throughout their lives.