Celebrating 10 Years of Universe Awareness

In 2016, Universe Awareness is celebrating 10 years of inspiring children with our wonderful cosmos. These last 10 years have been full of exciting activities and collaborations across the world. To celebrate this, we will be organising contests, training, education events and many other activities across the globe throughout 2016:

Contests

• Space Scoop Comic Contest
  We’re asking our readers to create their very own Space Scoop comic. Anyone between the ages of 8 and 18 years is invited to create an original short comic based on one of our Space Scoop stories. Deadline is 31 August.

• Win Your Own Telescope Contest
  Do you want to have a telescope for your astronomy outreach and education activities? In collaboration with Sterren Schitteren voor Iedereen, we are giving away 4 Bresser Refractor telescopes to our UNAWE network this year. Deadline is 31 July.

• EAAE Space Art Contest
  Discover the Universe and its beauty through art. The European Astronomy Space Art Contest aims to stimulate the creativity and independent work of students from European primary schools using astronomy.

Training

• Space Education International Workshop
  Between 18 and 22 October, we will host a Universe Awareness Symposium at the Space EducationInternational Workshop in Leiden, the Netherlands. The event, organised by Space Awareness in collaboration with the Galileo Teacher Training Workshop and the European Space Agency, invites participants to explore best practices and innovative uses of astronomy and space sciences for education.

• Space Education Online Course
  In September, Space Awareness will launch a series of four MOOCs dedicated to the use of space in education. These free and open online courses will be hosted by the European Schoolnet Academyand have been developed by the Space Awareness partners in collaboration with international teachers.

• Google Hangouts Teacher Training
  Throughout the world, UNAWE network members organise teacher training events. At the end of 2016, Universe Awareness will be hosting an international teacher training online, led by UNAWE resource specialists from around the world.

Events

• Asteroid Day
  In 2016, UNAWE is the educational partner of Asteroid Day 2016. Asteroid Day will take place on 30 June this year. Universe Awareness has developed Asteroid Day educational resources for children, in collaboration with LCOGT.

• Global UNAWE Network Event
  This year, during World Space Week, all Universe Awareness network members are invited to celebrate the inspirational aspects of astronomy with children and teachers around the world. For ideas, visit our activities page.

Other Activities

• Microfunding for UNAWE projects
  Inspired by the success of our colleagues at Astronomers Without Borders and Galileo Teacher Training Programme, we will be launching microfunding campaigns for select UNAWE projects in collaboration with Fiat Physica. Submission for microfunding ideas ends on 1 November 2016. Email info@unawe.org for more information.

• Universe Awareness 10 Years Publication
  Later this year, we will publish a book about the successes, challenges and milestones of the Universe Awareness programme over the past 10 years, which will function as a toolkit for future astronomy education projects. If you want to contribute, please email info@unawe.org.

• Updated Universe Awareness Logo and Website
  We have also been working on updating the current Universe Awareness logo and website, to better be able to support our network. Keep an eye out!
  
  

In the past few months we have asked the UNAWE network how you would want to celebrate UNAWE 10. Our plan for UNAWE 10 is a result of your responses, thank you very much! Of course, we hope that each national node will celebrate UNAWE's anniversary in their own way as well. Share your celebrations with us! (through email at info@unawe.org or #unawe10 and @unawe).