  The Pulsar Search Collaboratory (PSC) engages high school students and
teachers in analyzing real data from the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope
for the purpose of discovering exotic stars called pulsars. These cosmic clocks
can be used as a galactic-scale detector of gravitational waves, ripples in
space-time that have recently been directly detected from the mergers of
stellar-mass black holes. Through immersing students in an authentic, positive
learning environment to build a sense of belonging and competency, the goal of
the PSC is to promote students' long-term interests in science and science
careers. PSC students have discovered 7 pulsars since the start of the PSC in
2008. Originally targeted at teachers and students in West Virginia, over time
the program has grown to 18 states. In a new effort to scale the PSC
nationally, the PSC has developed an integrated online training program with
both self-guided lectures and homework and real-time interactions with pulsar
astronomers. Now, any high school student can join in the exciting search for
pulsars and the discovery of a new type of gravitational waves.
