Universe Awareness, Inspiring Young Children With The Beautiful Universe

Paper number

IAC-07-E1.3.06

Author

Dr. Carolina Ödman, Universe Awareness, The Netherlands

Year

2007

Abstract

Universe Awareness (UNAWE) is an international programme for a worldwide scientific culture. UNAWE is designed to expose economically disadvantaged young children, aged between 4 and 10 years, to inspirational aspects of astronomy. By conveying a feeling for the scale and beauty of the Universe the main goal of UNAWE is to broaden the minds of young children, thereby helping to form tolerant and peace-minded adults. Additional goals of UNAWE are to enhance the children's understanding of the world and to demonstrate the power of rational thought.

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.

The development of UNAWE is driven by the needs of the children and of the people delivering the programme in each participating country. Target regions for the full programme will include diverse environments from inner cities in Europe to rural areas in developing countries. Ingredients of the programme include the development of country-specific materials, the provision of training for programme coordinators and the initiation of an international network for communication by teachers and others involved in the programme.

Successful pilot activities have already been implemented in Tunisia, Venezuela, Colombia, South Africa, Indonesia and India. UNAWE is being developed as a bottom-up programme that will carry out or participate in projects in several countries starting in 2009, the International Year of Astronomy.

Abstract document

IAC-07-E1.3.06.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-07-E1.3.06.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.