1st UNAWE Ireland Meeting in Armagh (Ireland) C. Odman Presenting UNAWE to representatives of the Irish astronomy and education communities. November 2006.

1. UNIVERSE AWARENESS (UNAWE)
• Initiative for a worldwide scientific culture
• Expose very young (ages 4 - 10 years), underprivileged
children to the inspirational aspects of astronomy
UNIVERSE AWARENESS – Broaden the minds of the children
UNAWE – Enhance their understanding of the world
– Demonstrate the power of rational thought
Armagh Observatory 22 Nov 2006
Carolina Ödman - Leiden Observatory
MOTIVATION WHY ASTRONOMY?
• Beauty and size of the Universe excite young children • Astronomy is Science
• Basic knowledge of the Universe is a birthright
• Ages 4-10 are crucial for child development • Astronomy is Culture and Human Development
• Knowledge about the Universe can broaden the mind
• Astronomy is Multidisciplinary
• Why young and underprivileged children?
– Need is greatest
• Astronomy is Exciting
– Cognitive disparities increase with age
– Cultural differences less pronounced
• Harnessing Science (Education) for Peace
GOALS OF UNAWE GOALS OF UNAWE
• Communicate the beauty and scale of the • Use inspirational astronomy to develop
Universe to young children cognitive skills
– Excite stimulate their curiosity
– Help develop a “world view” • Reach large numbers of children
Astronomy compels the soul to look upwards
and leads us from this world to another.
• United Nations Millennium Development Goals
– Universal Primary Education
– Gender Equality in Primary School
Plato
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2. PRINCIPLES OF UNAWE INGREDIENTS OF UNAWE
• Material
• Inspiration is paramount – Games, Cartoons, Songs, Hands-on material
– Emphasis on play and entertainment – Developed by professionals
– Translated into various languages
• Bottom-up approach
– Driven by the needs of the local cultures and educators • Training
– Coordinators in each target country
• General approach – Tailored to each country and community
– Earth awareness and citizenship, membership of a diverse
human family • International Network
– Awareness of the Sun, planets, solar system, galaxy, the – Platform for outreach professionals and volunteers worldwide
Universe – Exchange of ideas, experience and materials
BACKGROUND AND TIMELINE BIRTH OF AN IDEA 2003 - 2005
• 2003 George Miley awarded a KNAW professorship
• 2004 Informal discussions
• May 2005 1st UNAWE multidisciplinary workshop, ESO,
Germany
– International Steering Committee set up.
• September 2005 Project Manager appointed
• October 2005: Meeting at UNESCO in Paris
• November 2005 - present: Pilot activities in Tunisia
2006 2007
• January 2006 - present: Pilot activities in Venezuela • Appointment of a Media Coordinator
• April 2006: Meeting in Heidelberg • Second meeting at UNESCO
• August 2006: Formal launch of UNAWE at the IAU XXVI • National groups:
General Assembly – EU: Netherlands, Italy, Spain (Ireland, UK)
– Endorsement by the IAU – Non-EU: India, South Africa, Indonesia, Colombia (Chile)
• October 2006: 2nd UNAWE multidisciplinary workshop • EU Framework Programme 7
– Funding for the UNAWE International Development Office for 3 • IAU at the UN General Assembly - IYA 2009
years awarded by the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture
and Science • Other workshops
– The world in the school, schools in the world
• December 2006: First teacher training in Spain
– UNAWE workshops
– National meetings
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3. TIMELINE CHARACTERISTICS OF UNAWE
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
PREPARATION
DEVELOPMENT
IMPLEMENTATION
EVALUATION
• 2009
– Implementation in a number of EU and emerging countries
– International Year of Astronomy…
CHARACTERISTICS OF UNAWE Environments
• Underprivileged children in diverse
environments
– Basic, intermediate, advanced
– Europe (e.g. inner cities) and Emerging countries
• Modular and phased
– Will take account of stages in child development
ENVIRONMENTS CHARACTERISTICS OF UNAWE
• Advanced Environment • Exploits ethnic and historic
– School from ages 4 - 5 heritage of astronomy
– Access to internet at school and often at home – Tangible and Intangible
– Well-trained teachers cultural heritage
• Some challenges
– Overloaded children
– Overloaded educators - ties to the curriculum
– Existence of other programmes
Newgrange, Co. Meath
– Involve parents, day care, etc.
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4. Astronomy heritage Astronomy heritage
Inner Mongolia, Baimiaozi, 4000 BC Egypt, Nabta 4300 BC Japan, Kanayama
~ 3000 - 4000 BC
Mexico, Chichen Itza, ~ 1100 AD China, Gaocheng, 1279 AD
Astronomy heritage EDUCATIONAL ASPECTS
European Southern Observatory
Hubble Space Telescope 1998
2004
MODULAR STRUCTURE SOME TOPICS
• Age groups • Sky Awareness
– Levels of cognitive development – Observation and awareness
• Earth Awareness, Earth Citizenship
• Programme lengths and delivery methods – Seasons or no seasons
– Remote areas vs. Inner cities – Diverse Human Family
– Educator training, standalone programmes – Cultural diversity by comparison
• Topics • Solar System, Constellations and Planets
– Scales, Comparative approach
• Methods – Environmental awareness
– Culturally relevant: Involve indigenous cultures and • The Galaxy and the Exotic Universe
their astronomy – Adventure!
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5. METHODS COORDINATOR TRAINING
• Direct observations • Training of Local Coordinators
– Familiarisation – Central contact point
– Bottom-up approach: Making the programme theirs
• Hands-on activities
– Appropriation • Role
• Playing and singing stories and myths – Supervise programme in specific region
– Maintain contact with schools and teachers
– Experience
– Take part in the development and the evaluation of UNAWE
• Twinning activities, interactive software
– Exchange and real-life experience • Practical Aspects
– Training course by UNAWE
• Large input from local cultures
– Approach will differ for each region
MATERIAL TUNISIA PILOT PROJECT
• Playing and active stimulation
– Songs, games, toys etc.
– Model building that children can keep
• Excitement
– Short adventure films
– Cartoon characters, gripping adventure stories
– Set in beautiful and exotic environments
• Internet (Advanced Environment)
– Class twinning to reinforce Earth awareness
– Developing countries often have darker skies
CITÉ DES SCIENCES, TUNIS ASTRO-BUS
• Activities for 4 - 10 year old children • Bus with astronomical activities travels to most remote
– Observations of the Sun areas
– Workshop on the Solar System
• Between January and May 2006 over 1000 children of
– Workshop on Sun-Earth-Moon 4 - 10 have taken part
• Educator Training workshop • More future cooperation between the Astro-Bus and
the Children’s Clubs
– Pilot Astronomy programme in 7 Children’s Clubs
– Partnership with the Ministry of Women, Children,
Family and Elderly affairs. • Part of a ‘Caravan of Sciences’
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6. UNAWE Tunisia UNAWE Tunisia
• A National Action Committee has been
formed
• Government funds UNAWE in Tunisia
– Ministry of Family Affairs
– New collaboration: Ministry of Education
VENEZUELA PILOT PROJECT CHUAO, A REMOTE COMMUNITY
• Contact with children
– Astronomical images
– Spontaneous involvement
– Sharing of experiences
• Interest of women
• Impact of astronomical images
MÉRIDA TEACHER TRAINING UNAWE VENEZUELA
• Teacher training workshop • A National Action Committee has been
– Encounter between mythical and scientific views of formed
the world and the universe
• Training with children • Government funds UNAWE in Venezuela
– Model building to take – Ministries of Education and Science
home – Collaboration with the Venezuelan UNESCO
• Visit of the Ye’kuana tribe (Southern Amazon) delegation
– Explanation of the calendar, constellations
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7. FILM TIME! UNAWE, A GLOBAL INITIATIVE
WHO WE ARE UNAWE collaborations
Team of ~30 people of 15 nationalities
International Steering Committee National Groups
- George Miley (Leiden, Netherlands) Tunisia, Venezuela, Colombia,
- Claus Madsen (ESO) Spain, South Africa, India,
- Cecilia Scorza (Heidelberg, Germany) Netherlands, etc.
- Isa Baud (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
- Alec Boksenberg (Cambridge, UK)
- Karl Sarnow,(Brussels, Belgium)
Project Manager Workshop 2006
- Carolina Ödman
~ 50 participants of 20 nationalities
ENDORSEMENTS ENDORSING ORGANISATIONS
• Prof. Catherine Cesarsky, President of the International Astronomical Union • ASTRON: Netherlands Foundation for Research in Astronomy
(2006 - 2009) • CIDA: Centro de Investigaciones de Astronomía, Venezuela
• Prof. Ron Ekers, Former President of the International Astronomical Union (2003 - • Cité des Sciences à Tunis: Tunis Science City
2006) • CSIC: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Spanish National Research Council
• Sir Bob Geldof, Musician, philanthropist and activist • EAAE: European Association for Astronomy Education
• EUN: European Schoolnet
• Prof. Riccardo Giacconi, 2002 Nobel Prize winner • ESO: European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere
• Prof. Federico Mayor, President of the Foundation for a Culture of Peace • IAU: International Astronomical Union
• Prof. Michel Mayor, First discoverer of extrasolar planets • IUPAP: International Union of Pure and Appllied Physics
• Dr. Khotso Mokhele, First President of the South African National Research • KNAW: Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
Foundation (1999 - 2006) • LDI: Learning Development Institute
• Sir Martin Rees, President of the UK's Royal Society • Leiden University
• LOFAR: The LOFAR Foundation, The Netherlands
• Prof. Joseph Taylor, 1993 Nobel Prize winner
• NOVA: The Netherlands Research School in Astronomy
• Prof. Charles Townes, 1964 Nobel Prize winne • OCW: Netherlands Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
• Prof. Robert Williams, President Elect. of the International Astronomical Union • SRON: Netherlands Institute for Space Research
(2009 - 2012) • Sterrewacht Leiden: Leiden Observatory, The Netherlands
• ZAH: Universität Heidelberg, Germany
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8. UNAWE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK UNAWE in Ireland
• Numerous initiatives around the world
– Often isolated
– Growing interest and feedback for UNAWE
• Platform for communication and community
– Exchange of ideas, experiences, material
– Announcements, membership directory
– Think-tank for bottom-up approach
– Outlet for UNAWE ideas
– Inclusion of other partner countries
Questions Questions
• Children • Structure
– Who are the children who would benefit the most? – Is passive/active support from the authorities likely?
• Location, cultural background, language, learning – Is it better to aim for formal or informal education
environment, family structure, rural/urban, etc. systems?
– What material captures their attention? – Are there synergetic programmes to work with in
• Educators/teachers/minders joint ventures?
• Enthusiasm, interest, time, incentives? – Are there specific requirements for the training?
• Astronomy community – Are there potential sources of funding that could be
approached to support UNAWE in Ireland?
=> Wishlist for materials development
Aim 2007 - 2008 Ireland and other UNAWE countries
• National Action Committee / Group • Benefits of international collaboration
– Twinning between children but also teachers
– Collect background information and feedback to – Networking, exchange & showcase of ideas
ensure adapted programme • National astronomy meetings
– Project plan for implementation • Bridge with Academia
• People, places, best practice, budget, funding possibilities, – “Live astronomy”
etc. – 2009 International Year of
Astronomy
– Organise national pilot activities (teachers) • Global events and projects
– Participate in International pilot activities – EU Funding in FP7?
• It has already happened ...
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9. Thank you!
http://www.UNAWE.org/
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