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UNIVERSE AWARENESSInspiring Young Children

Dr. Carolina Ödmancarolina.odman@unawe.org

Hyderabad, September 27, 2007

• Initiative for a worldwide scientific culture.

• Expose very young (ages 4 - 10 years), underprivilegedchildren to the inspirational aspects of astronomy.

– Broaden the minds of the children

– Enhance their understanding of the world

– Demonstrate the power of independent thought

UNIVERSE AWARENESS (UNAWE)

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MOTIVATION

• Beauty and size of the Universe excite Young Children

• Basic knowledge of the Universe is a Birthright

• Ages 4 - 10 are crucial for Child Development

• Knowledge about the Universe can broaden the mind

• Why young and underprivileged children?– Need is greatest

– Cognitive disparities increase with age

– Cultural differences less pronounced

• Science– Investigation, curiosity– Ambassador for all

sciences– Development of

technology

• Culture– History

past & in the making!

– Cultural heritage

• Multidisciplinary– The big questions

• FUN!– Beautiful images

– Extreme conditions

– Unreachable yetavailable to all

Astronomy for Peace Education

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GOALS OF UNAWE

• Communicate the beauty and scale of theUniverse to young children

• Use inspirational astronomy todevelop cognitive skills

• Reach large numbers of children

• United Nations MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs)– Universal Primary Education

– Gender Equality in Primary School

PRINCIPLES OF UNAWE

• Inspiration is paramount– Emphasis on play and entertainment

• Bottom-up approach– Driven by the needs of the local communities and educators

• Underprivileged children in diverse environments

• Exploits ethnic heritage and folkloric astronomy– Intangible cultural heritage

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INGREDIENTS OF UNAWE• Material

– Games, Cartoons, Songs, Hands-on material– Developed by professionals– Translated into various languages and cultures

• Teacher Training– Coordinators in each target country– Tailored to each country and community

• International Network– Platform for Outreach professionals and volunteers worldwide– Exchange of ideas, experience and materials

• 2009– Several developing countries and EU member states– Activity for the International Year of Astronomy…

TIMELINE

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013PREPARATIONPREPARATION

DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT

IMPLEMENTATIONIMPLEMENTATION

EVALUATIONEVALUATION

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UNAWE Internationally

National Pilot Projects

• Venezuela:– UNESCO Schools network, Astronomy community, Ministry of Science

and Education• Tunisia

– Science City, Teacher training and travelling “Astro-Bus”, Ministries ofFamily Affairs and of Education

• India– TNSF, Pratham

• South Africa– SALT Collateral Benefits programme, DST & SAASTA

• Colombia– Private Initiative, MALOKA

• Indonesia– BOBO Magazine, Students volunteersm Open days

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International Pilot Activities

• Lunar Eclipse March 2007– Skypecast: ~ 15 countries 4 continents, ~ 60 people aged 7 - ...– Easy to organise at short notice

• Sutherland, South Africa - Preston, UK April 2007– Skype Video Chat between learners

• Cape Town, South Africa - Chennai,India April 2007– International National day

• Live Astronomy– 3-way exchange: latitude & longitude

UNAWE International Network

• Numerous initiatives around the world– Often isolated

– Growing interest and feedback for UNAWE

• Platform for communication and community– Exchange of ideas, experiences, material

– Announcements

– Think-tank for bottom-up approach

– Outlet for UNAWE ideas & materials

– Inclusion of other partner countries

– Independent spin-offs

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MORE INFORMATION

http://www.UNAWE.org/

carolina.odman@unawe.org