(WTNH) – The Great American Eclipse is on Monday. Many people know where they’ll watch it and how they’ll do so safely. Some have traveled so they’ll get to see the total eclipse, but many are planning on watching it right here in Connecticut.

Kathie Powell of Stratford is looking forward to the solar eclipse. She’s planning on going to Boothe Memorial Park to watch it.

“I have my welder’s glass that I’ll take and I’ll look up at the sun,” she said.

Many people have tried to find the proper solar eclipse sunglasses, but had to find other ways of watching the eclipse safely.

“We’re going to make our own do it yourself glasses because the glasses right now are astronomical prices and you can’t even find them,” said Chrissy Scopoletti of New York.

Some students and staff from the University of Bridgeport are taking this one step further. Several went to Kentucky where they’ll be able to see a total eclipse. The school is working with NASA and will be doing atmospheric testing during the eclipse.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to be involved in a project with NASA sending balloons into space,” said Tarek Sobh, Dean of the University of Bridgeport School of Engineering.

The eclipse is something that even faculty members who stayed behind, like Sobh, don’t want to miss.

“We’re going to choose a very tall building in the city of Bridgeport and be on the roof of that building,” he said.

But with the proper protective gear, it’s something that anyone can watch anywhere.

“It’s just a once in a lifetime event and you don’t have to travel far,” said Powell. “You can just go out in your backyard.”

University faculty are hoping the excitement surrounding the eclipse will get more young people interested in science, technology, engineering and math.