Case Rijsdijk, PASA, 17 (2), 156.
Next Section: The ``Starbus" project
Title/Abstract Page: Using Astronomy as a
Previous Section: Implementing the Science Education
Friends with the Universe
In 1997 the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology announced that 1998 would be the Year of Science and Technology (YEAST) in South Africa. As a part of YEAST each of the eight science councils were awarded a sum of money for their ``thrust" within YEAST. The Foundation for Research Development chose as its thrust ``Astronomy and Space Science," targeting three of the nine provinces in South Africa, namely the Western Cape, Northern Cape and Gauteng. The SAAO submitted a business plan to the Department on behalf of the Foundation (Rijsdijk 1998) entitled ``Friends with the Universe." This project had six broad aims:
- Extend the present workshops held at the SAAO and also hold one major national workshop as part of the IAU Symposium 192,
- Invite prominent local and overseas, speakers to address the South African public,
- Subsidized transport for people from the disadvantaged community enabling them to these talks,
- Produce a series of nine posters to be distributed nationally,
- Upgrade facilities at local planetaria and observatories to improve their capability of raising public awareness,
- Create a mobile facility to take science to the rural communities in the Western Cape, Northern Cape and Gauteng.
The last of these developed into the ``Starbus" project (see below). The ``Friends with the Universe" was most successful, the highlights being:
- The visits by Dr David Malin, Professors John Barrow, Julietta Fierro and Gibor Basri.
- The nine posters produced. These proved to be extremely popular, especially the first one on African Starlore. They were designed with a dual purpose; to be both decorative and educational and were distributed nationally.
- The ``Astronomy in Education" workshop held in Cape Town after the IAU 192 Symposium (IAU 1999).
Next Section: The ``Starbus" project
Title/Abstract Page: Using Astronomy as a
Previous Section: Implementing the Science Education
© Copyright Astronomical Society of Australia 1997