The NSF and NASA have made education and public outreach EPO an integral part of their grants processes for research in astrophysics. The nations oldest professional astronomy organization, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, has changed its focus to becoming the primary organization for EPO professionals in atronomy and related fields. Hundreds of scientists and educators have made their career of choice the task of bringing astronomy research to pre-college and public audiences. What drives these trends? How do they affect our work as research astronomers?
What are the secrets to building outreach programs that are genuinely effective? Working from perspectives gained at National and local levels we will attempt to answer these questions using examples taken from community projects we are developing in the South Bend area.