Proceedings: Universe Awareness - Inspiring Young Children with the Beautiful Universe

First Middle East-Africa Regional IAU Meeting, April 5-10, 2008

Universe Awareness - Inspiring young children with the beautiful universe 1Leiden

Dr. Carolina J. Ă–dman1, Prof. George K. Miley1

Observatory, Leiden University, PO Box 9513, 2300 CA Leiden, The Netherlands

Abstract. Universe Awareness (UNAWE) is an international programme that aims to inspire young disadvantaged children with the size, scale and beauty of the universe.

UNAWE illustrates the multicultural origins of modern astronomy in an effort to broaden children's minds, awaken their curiosity in science and stimulate global citizenship and tolerance. Games, songs, hands-on activities, cartoons and live internet exchanges are devised in partnership with UNAWE communities throughout the world for children from the age of 4 onwards. UNAWE is one of the eleven Cornerstone Projects chosen to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy 2009.

UNAWE is motivated by the premises that access to simple knowledge about the Universe is a birth right and that the formative ages of 4 to 10 years play an important role in the development of a human value system. Astronomy is an ancient and multidisciplinary field, an ambassador for all sciences and a driver for technology that the UNAWE initiative hopes to use to broaden children's perspectives. A dozen of countries worldwide are already participating in UNAWE, from Colombia to Indonesia and Tunisia.

We present the global programme and opportunities for participation.

Keywords. UNAWE, outreach, education, international, iya2009, young children, awareness, culture, world citizenship

Introduction Universe Awareness is an innovative education programme that aims to expose very young children between the ages of 4 to 10 to the most inspirational aspects of astronomy. The intention behind the programme is to broaden the young formative minds of children, awaken their curiosity in science and stimulate their sense of world citizenship.

Universe Awareness started as an idea in 2004. After being discussed among the astronomical and outreach communities, it was decided to try to develop the programme from end 2005. Almost a year later, the Netherlands Ministry of Education, Culture and Science granted Universe Awareness funds for an international office that would coordinate the development of the UNAWE programme internationally for 3 years. The goal is to start a global implementation in 2009 followed by close evaluation in order for the programme to evolve and grow according to the needs of the community. In 2007 UNAWE was chosen as one of the 11 global cornerstone projects of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA). This cornerstone is the only one designed for children directly, and will continue after 2009 thus contributing to the long lasting legacy of the IYA.

To our knowledge, no other astronomy outreach or education programme is specifically designed around the two core values of UNAWE: Reaching out to very young underprivileged children and emphasising inspiration rather than knowledge acquisition.

Background Astronomy is an ancient science rooted in our deepest philosophical questions. As such its educational value in terms of science but also culture and moral value forming is high.

The motivation behind UNAWE is multiple.

The beauty and size of the Universe excites young children. Astronomical images capture their attention. Ultimately, these images are very abstract, yet children respond to them in a way they would not respond to other man-made abstract illustrations.

We consider basic knowledge of the Universe to be a birthright. The beautiful images produced by modern ground-based or spatial astronomical facilities are the fruit of millennia of human endeavour starting form the beginning of civilisation and with contributions from every civilisation. This legacy, as well as the great knowledge about the universe acquired through centuries of questioning is thus part of a human heritage that all children should benefit from equally.

Knowledge about the Universe broadens the mind. Stretching the imagination to unfathomable scales, seeing a universe invisible to the eye, thinking of the extreme conditions reigning in outer space are only few aspects of the universe that widen our thinking. The variety of vision, interpretations and stories used to describe the sky are also a tribute to human imagination and the cultural diversity found across the planet.

Children develop their individual and cultural identity and acquire the system of values that will guide them through life at a very early age. The ages of 4 to 10 are crucial for child development. Exposing children to all facets of astronomy during that process has a lifelong impact on their appreciation of nature and others, and equips them to think rationally when exposed to dogma.

Finally, this programme starts by reaching out to the children who need it the most, those who have the least opportunity to be exposed to astronomy and experience the beauty of the universe: children in underprivileged communities. In the developing world, this often translates into economically disadvantaged communities. In the developed world where access to infrastructure is less of a problem, the children we try to reach will often be found in marginalised communities facing socio-cultural and integration challenges. Thus, the UNAWE programme has to be adapted to each environment to enthuse children successfully.

Why astronomy for young children?

The goals of the Universe Awareness programme are simple. We wish to communicate the beauty and scale of the Universe to young children, to stimulate their curiosity and help them develop a sense of global citizenship.

Astronomy is a great ambassador of all sciences for children. It is exciting and fun and calls upon children’s curiosity, reasoning, questioning and inquiring minds. Those qualities are essential for a positive and engaged attitude towards science at older ages, and in all aspects of life.

Astronomy is also culture and human development. What would navigation be like on land and at sea, if travellers could not count on the regular motion of the stars to guide them across continents and oceans? Stories and legends told from one generation to the next are imbued with education, culture and moral values.

Today astronomy drives the development of cutting-edge technology. It has enabled us to see the universe under light invisible to the human eye revealing mesmerising sights. It has led us to cross the last frontier and has put humans in space. Astronomy is humankind’s most high-tech adventure.

Looking at this diverse and vast sky our imagination is constantly challenged. It is inspired to see further, more, and to understand our place in the universe. Astronomy in all its aspects illustrates the intimate connection with the sky that has always characterised humanity.

For all these reasons, astronomy is the perfect theme to inspire children to look beyond their immediate environment. Through the exposure to the beauty and vastness of the universe, children aspire to learn more, to understand where we come from and appreciate the richness of the cultural diversity that has emerged under the one sky we all share. UNAWE uses inspirational astronomy to develop cognitive skills and hopefully contributes to two of the UN Millennium Development goals for achieving universal primary education and gender equality in schools.

Principles and Ingredients of UNAWE Transmitting the Universe Awareness message to young children goes through speaking their language. Therefore UNAWE emphasises play, entertainment and enjoyment more than performance. Appreciation does not require understanding, but understanding naturally comes with appreciation.

We wish for children and communities to feel part of this vast human family whose development has contributed to today’s modern astronomy. Therefore local ownership of astronomy is very important. The programme is developed following a bottom-up approach to satisfy the needs of each community.

In line with the nature of astronomy, UNAWE builds on the universality of the sky to cross boundaries. The Earth seen from space shows on borders, no differences between neighbouring countries, and like the human family, each part of this colourful planet is made more beautiful because of the different colours found all around it.

The ingredients of the programme include materials, training and an international network.

In order to be appealing and relevant, the resources such as books, cartoons, posters and hands-on materials must be developed by professionals and adaptable to several languages and cultures. Activities, experiments and hands-on materials are developed by, sourced from and disseminated across the international network of UNAWE volunteers.

This ensures that the materials are tested and selected by the communities for their relevance and efficacy.

Training of coordinators and implementers in each region ensures that the UNAWE volunteers become multipliers for the programme. In certain cases, this training is

recognised or even co-organised by education authorities. Additionally international workshops are organised to enable face-to-face exchanges of experiences and resources.

The international network of UNAWE volunteers provides an unequalled platform for outreach professionals and volunteers dedicated to astronomy education and outreach and enriches the experience greatly. Ideas are exchanged and concrete solutions to challenges faced by one community are found together to the benefit of all.

Universe Awareness is implemented in a variety of environments, each with the specificities. Figure 1 below illustrates some of the environments in which UNAWE is being developed.

Figure 1: Top right: A school in rural India. Top left: A Kindergarten in Venezuela.

Bottom left: A UNAWE Workshop for children at the Science City in Tunisia. Bottom right: Observing the sun in South Africa ahead of a lunar eclipse.

The methods employed un the UNAWE Activities ensure a complete experience for children. All their senses are stimulated and their minds engaged. Direct observations lead to an awareness and a familiarisation with the subject. Hands-on activities enable children to appropriate themselves the astronomical topic. Songs, dances and story telling enables children to live astronomy through identification and enactment.

Exchanges over the Internet to celebrate astronomical events with children from other countries and other cultures lead to a real-life experience of astronomy. It is not required to have any skills in astronomy or science to be able to appreciate the sky and by engaging children on those different cognitive levels, this message is reinforced.

UNAWE in the world today As of April 2008, there are active groups developing and implementing UNAWE activities in the following countries: Indonesia, India, Kenya, South Africa, Tunisia, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, United Kingdom, Ireland, Bermuda, Venezuela, Colombia, Chile. This is in no minor part due to the very successful pilot activities carried out in Tunisia and Venezuela, and the nomination of UNAWE as global cornerstone project of IYA2009. There are expressions of interest in a number of other countries including Brazil, Serbia, Turkey and Egypt.

In addition to national programmes, international activities are strongly encouraged, e.g. skypecasts or video/voice dialogues between children across the world over the Internet.

Children thereby experience the planet directly: From East to West they travel through day and night, but between North and South they travel across seasons. Yet they still see the same things in the sky wherever they are. This is live astronomy. We also emphasise the importance of children talking to each other directly.

We try to minimise the intervention of teachers and educators, as they can unconsciously act as a filter. Children are very tolerant and curious about their peers in other countries when they meet them directly. As they start sharing observations of the sky, they quickly move on to discuss their lives and enjoy their differences. They make friends in an instant and thus become word citizens. These Internet exchanges enable children to cross borders that they are not able to physically cross. This is an opportunity for the most underprivileged children to see the world like they never would have a chance to otherwise.

UNAWE’s contribution to Astronomy Development The message of this programme is beneficial to the development of astronomy in that it contributes to general awareness of it in the public. Working with the youngest members of the community means involving parents and educators who thereby acquire knowledge about astronomy. Awareness raising among the population and the development of a scientific culture influences decision makers who better understand why astronomy should be pursued at all levels.

Astronomy transcends disciplines. Building on all aspects of astronomy contributes to placing astronomy and other sciences in a human context. Understanding that people of all backgrounds do astronomy and sourcing the rich worldwide astronomical heritage enables the adults of tomorrow feel they are part of the great human astronomical endeavour.

Working with children at such a young age and conveying the fun of astronomy before they develop prejudice prepares children to science education later in their schooling.

They are less likely to lost interest and appreciation for science.

Engaging professional and amateur astronomers with the public is positive for the recognition of the profession among the public and for the appreciation of outreach among the professionals. It is a win-win situation.

Awareness of our place in the Universe gives children and adult a deep sense of perspective. Knowing that all known life is confined to a thin shell of water and air on a small planet somewhere in the immense universe is a powerful message to preserve our environment. It is thrilling to think of our planet is a spaceship racing through space.

Children exposed to the scale and beauty of the universe through UNAWE become appreciative of science, whether or not they become scientists themselves. As future adults, they understand the relevance of astronomy. This contributes to a strong scientific culture among the public and a strengthening of conditions for the pursuit of astronomical research.

The UNAWE community The Universe Awareness volunteers and collaborators form a diverse international community encompassing different learning environments, approaches, structures and people. We celebrate this diversity and welcome the growing pool of enthusiasts contributing to the programme. The community contributes ideas and activities suitable for children, young and less young. UNAWE volunteers spread awareness and enthusiasm for astronomy and share their expertise in the field with specialists in child development. Through the interface with science museums, education systems, amateur astronomy groups and other outreach programmes, the Universe Awareness community never ceases to grow. The programme mobilises volunteers and support for astronomy.

UNAWE is a mutual learning experience where children and adults around them learn astronomy by practicing it. Educators, teachers and volunteers learn from the children and the public. The two communities of people familiar with astronomy and those less familiar with it are brought together by their common interest in the welfare and development of young children through the Universe Awareness programme.

To summarise, Universe Awareness is an international programme that spreads interest for astronomy where it has the biggest impact: young children between 4 and 10 years. It gives astronomy the image of a human science. UNAWE has a social agenda and mobilises a large number of volunteers.

How to make it happen?

Essentially any astronomy outreach activity that targets 4 – 10 year olds, has a strong inspirational character, reaches out to the underprivileged and includes the cultural aspects of astronomy is a UNAWE activity. We welcome those whose activities are in line with the UNAWE philosophy in our network and provide access to our network.

The International Office in Leiden is there for support and can help in the setting up of activities and guidelines. For more information on how to join the programme, see http://www.unawe.org/join Conclusion Astronomy is an outstanding ambassador of human achievement in science, culture and technology. Moreover it can be made easily accessible to very young children in a fun and entertaining journey of discovery. This is what thee Universe Awareness global cornerstone project of the UN proclaimed International Year of Astronomy 2009 strives to achieve. By doing so, it makes a critical contribution to ensure an appreciation of science by the next generation and an awareness of our place in the universe, in a thin life-bearing shell on a small planet in a vast universe, and that the universe is big and beautiful.