Strategies for Creating Cornerstone Education Projects for the International Year of Astronomy 2009
Abstract
The General Assembly of the United Nations has designated 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009), a year-long global education program to commemorates the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first astronomical observations through a telescope. IYA2009 has an importance well beyond what can be accomplished in just one year. The main goal is to use this year to build sustainable, long-term education programs for measurable changes in science literacy in school children and in the public at large. The National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) with headquarters in Tucson and the American Astronomical Society (AAS) with headquarters in Washington D.C. are leading the coordination of IYA2009 activities in the United States under a grant from the National Science Foundation. NASA is also playing a large role. NOAO and AAS are working closely with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International Astronomical Union (IAU), Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO), The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), and other trusted astronomy partners worldwide. Through collaboration and coordination, the participating partners will convey the excitement of personal discovery, the merits of the scientific process, and the pleasure of sharing new and fundamental knowledge about the Universe. This talk will describe the goals of the major cornerstone projects led by the United States including the Galileoscope education kit, dark skies education, image exhibition, and Galileo teacher training project. This work was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation Astronomy Division. NOAO is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc. under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2008
- Bibcode:
- 2008AGUFMED51C..01P
- Keywords:
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- 6630 Workforce