UNAWE Sri Lanka is an astronomy outreach program that began in 2009 as part of International Year of Astronomy. Since then, it has reached over 1500 girl guides and 34 orphanages through its Saturday Astronomy Program and SpaceScoop publications. While volunteers are not always reliable, focused efforts with student ambassadors, interns, and regular meetups have been effective. Moving forward, the program aims to provide astronomy resources for people with disabilities, publish multilingual educational materials, and bring the Universe in a Box exhibit to additional cities.

1. UNAWE Sri Lanka: Start
• Joined with IYA 2009
• Ongoing outreach efforts branded as ‘UNAWE’
• Part of a global community
• More response from local authorities when
it’s ‘International’
Thilina Heenatigala. @ThilinaH

2. UNAWE Sri Lanka: Highlights
• Reached 1500+ Girl Guides in 2009
• Reached 34 orphanages (2010 – present)
• Saturday Astronomy Programme
• Won an award of ‘Innovation’ for science
thought by kids for kids in 2013
• SpaceScoop published in English, Sinhalese,
and Tamil weekly 500,000 copies

3. UNAWE Sri Lanka: What works?
• Volunteers? Not always!
– Students, amateur astronomers, teachers
• AEISEC collaboration for interns in 2014
– A lesson learned
• Volunteers with specifics – Works!
– A timeline
– Internship/UNAWE Student Ambassador
– Regular meetups

4. UNAWE Sri Lanka: Team
• Astronomy resources for People with
Disabilities
• SpaceScoop translation and publication to
Sinhalese and Tamil
• Produce a booklet on ‘Sri Lanka Astronomers’
for kids.
• Universe in a Box in three cities