Astro Book DriveSharing materials to

improve astronomy education globally

Thilina HeenatigalaFounderAstro Book Drive

SPS6: JENAM2010Lisbon, Portugal.

Pilot Project: Sri Lanka Book Drive 2006 – Boston University Astronomy Department.

Founded in September 2009 by Thilina Heenatigala and Prof. John Clarke (Boston University).

a global initiative to share astronomy materials with

developing countries to improve astronomy education.

materials are donated by astronomy related groups

from wealthy countries.

materials are used towards teaching and conducting

programs for students, teachers and public.

as a result of running book drives, groups build a

special bridge between them which leads up to various

other programs as well.

Old School method?

Process

Astro Book Drive

Groups from developing

world

Sources from developed world

Book DrivesMozambique Book Drive: Mozambique Astro Club – Girl Scouts from CA,

USA

Jamaican Book Drive:Jamaica Astronomical Association – Royal

Astronomical Society of Canada

Rwanda Book Drive:Rwanda IYA2009 – Australia IYA2009

Book DrivesCôte d’Ivoire Book Drive:Ivoir’Astro - EurAstro

Afghanistan Book Drive:Afghanistan Astronomical Association – StarPals Organization

Tanzania Book Drive:UNAWE-Tanzania – Greater Portland Astronomical Society. USA.

Ghana Book Drive:Ghana Planetarium – Cornell University Astronomy Department

Upcoming Book DrivesMaldives Book Drive:Maldives Science Society – South Asian Physics

SocietyIndonesian Book Drive:Langitselatan – VariousCameroon Book Drive: – University of

California- BerkeleyZambia Book Drive: - University of California-

BerkeleyUganda Book Drive - University of California-

Berkeley

Best uses…

Citizen SkySchool TeachingReading materials for Astronomy

Undergraduate and Post-doc courses

Taking it further…UNAWE, GTTP, Remote Telescope, Dark Sky

Awareness, etc…

Affiliations

Astronomers Without BordersEurAstro

Astro Book Drive is an IYA2009 Special Project!

http://www.astronomy2009.org/globalprojects/specialprojects/astrobookdrive/

ContactThilina Heenatigala.

thilina.heenatigala@yahoo.comhttp://astrodrive.lakdiva.net/