This document summarizes an astronomy education and outreach project funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research. It involves developing educational resources and activities for schools, public events, and multimedia products. Key aspects include establishing a national network of robotic telescopes for remote observing, an online platform called REAL to host educational materials, producing an astronomy book and videos, and collaborating on international outreach projects like the European Researchers' Night. The project aims to disseminate scientific culture through innovative educational and technology resources.

1. Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica
Gruppo Didattica e Divulgazione – POE group
Astronomy and Society
INAF Education and Outreach Projects
(MIUR L6/2000 2013-2014)
Caterina Boccato
INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova
(on behalf of INAF POE)

2. Human resources
Full time:
15 units staff + 5 temporary
contracts
Half time:
 85 astronomers/technicians
New contractors with project
foundings:
6 fellowships

3. Opportunity: a call from MIUR 2013 L6/2000
Dissemination of scientific culture
• Proposal presented on September 2012:
ASTRONOMIA E SOCIETA’, TRA TRADIZIONE E
INNOVAZIONE TECNOLOGICA
• Proposal approved on March 2013:
Obtained budget 291.302 €
(maximum allowed budget 300.000
MIUR financing 80%)
• Start: 2 April 2013
• Duration: 18 months
• End: 30 September 2014

4. A: Education activitiy for School
•Training for students
•Refreshing courses for teachers
•Tools: laboratorial activities and professional astronomical
instrumentation
B: Outreach activity
•Public events in Astronomical observatories, museum, laboratories,
observing facilities, public location…
•Public national events coordinated all over the Country such the
Moonwatch night, The European Reserchers’ Night and other similar
C: Multimedia and ICT
•National Network of robotic telescopes: Universo in Remoto
•Web Platform: Risorse Educative per l’Astronomia Laboratoriale
(REAL Educational Resources for Laboratorial Astronomy)
•Multimedia products: Astrokids book; educational DVD, videoclip
short 3D; app for smartphone
Project Macro-actions

5. 2
EDU.INAF.IT: that’s REAL (v1)!
Astrokids.inaf.it
Iyl2015.inaf.it
CMS

6. Peer-reviewed educational resources
• Connection with the IAU project
ASTROEDU: a platform for
educators to discover, review,
distribute, improve, and remix
educational astronomy
activities
• Opportunity for collaboration
with IAU Office of Astronomy
for Development (invitation
received)

7. Italian Remote Network of Educational Telescopes
(IRNET or Universo in Remoto)
INAF sites with telescopes for
educational scope:
•10 stellar telescopes
• 5 solar telescopes
• 1 radio antenna
• already working2013
• to be converted
• Work done during the
project(Bologna, Catania,
Napoli, Teramo)
IRNET

8. Astrokids, the book
30 astronomers of 13 different INAF Institutes + 7
external collaborators

10. Radioastronomy
National & International projects
NATIONAL
3D short movie – “How it works: radioastronomy”
Summer School “The radio of the cosmos”
INTERNATIONAL
INAF leads the task "Outreach for the general public"
within the FP7 project RadioNet

11. Project Status
1. REAL (edu.inaf.it)
• Server on-line 
• Software infrastructure: Commissioning Phase 
• Educational resources : Pilot activities selected 
Material to be uploaded
• Peer Review Process: Editorial Board to be appointed
• Public Outreach resources: edu.inaf.it/Astrokids 
2. IRNET
• Upgrading of observational facilities: on going 
• Tests of ready-to-go facilities: on going 
• Common User Interface for Remote Control: TBD
3. Multimedia
• Previously available resources: shared 
• New INAF production: Astrokids, book published 
• Video resources: 3D short on radioastronomy 

12. Questions?
caterina.boccato@inaf.it
edu.inaf.it