Astronomy Education Adventure in the Canary Islands 2023

Mar 14, 2023 | Courses

Date: 17-21 July 2023
Venue: San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain – hybrid format

This course is organized in the framework of teacher training activities of the PETeR Project (IAC).

AEACI 2023. Credit: IAC.

NUCLIO and the IAC (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias) join hands again to promote the ninth edition of Astronomy Education Adventure in the Canary Islands. In 2023, under the theme “Other Worlds“, the latest discoveries and advances in research on extrasolar planets, the Solar System and the applications of astrophysical technology to other fields, such as the observation of the Earth from space, will be presented. All from the approach of practical application to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) education and inquiry-based learning.

The main objective of the school is to provide participating teachers with the knowledge and tools to stimulate their students’ interest in science and technology through their participation in research projects in Astronomy and related areas, as well as to promote critical thinking, problem-solving skills, knowledge of the sky and its preservation as part of humanity’s heritage.

The school will take place from 17 to 21 July 2023 in a hybrid format, both face-to-face (at IACTEC, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands) and online, allowing each participant to enjoy the AEACI in the most convenient way.

Who can apply?

Teachers of all grade levels and subject domains, as well as informal educators, are invited to attend the school and dive into a real STEAM experience

About the School

General Information
  • Dates: July 17-21, 2023 (July 22 optional)
  • Venue: “Sala Grande” of IACTEC, San Cristóbal de La Laguna (Tenerife, Spain).
  • Duration: 30 certifiable hours
  • Modality: hybrid format (in-person and online)
  • Language: English
Topics and Lecturers

The aim is to provide teachers with resources, ideas and methodologies that can be applied in their classes to encourage students’ interest in STEAM disciplines and help them develop their skills in these areas. The focus of the activities is practical and interactive, with lectures and workshops given by IAC research and technical staff, as well as by experts in the dissemination and education of astronomy.

The school provides an introduction to some topics related to the Universe that form part of the Primary and Secondary curricula, as well as introducing teachers to the use of robotic telescopes in education, access to online resources and laboratories and practice with real data.

The school also includes educational visits (on-site and virtual) to the IAC facilities and to the Observatories of the Canary Islands.

The school’s contents will cover the following topics:

  • Astronomy for Education
  • Robotic Telescopes for Education
  • Our World
  • Other Worlds in the Solar System
  • Other Worlds Beyond the Solar System

Course page on the IAC-PETeR website

Certification

School attendance is certified by the IAC and NUCLIO, within the framework of the Galileo Teachers Training Programme (GTTP).

The training is approved by the Department of Education (CEUCD) of the Government of the Canary Islands for non-university Spanish teachers.

You can find the detailed program here:

Program

The program is subject to minor changes without previous notice.

Fees & Funding

The school is partially funded by the Communication and Outreach Unit of the IAC.

Participation in the course can be funded by the ERASMUS+ Programme.

Attendance to the school requires a registration fee for accepted face-to-face participants that covers:

  • Morning coffee during lecture days
  • Lunch at the school venue
  • Visit to the Teide Observatory (Tenerife) including transportation, guided visit, activities and dinner
  • School materials
  • Tuition fee for lectures, workshops and visits

The registration fee is:

  • 100 € for on-site participants from Spain (fee partially funded by the IAC).
  • 400 € for on-site participants from outside Spain.
  • 10 € for online participants. This symbolic fee will go entirely to the NUCLIO Trust programme to help students from developing countries to pursue university studies.

Payment instructions will be sent to applicants once the registration form has been completed and their participation has been accepted.

A limited number of grants may be awarded by the IAC to cover part of the costs of participants who do not have sources of funding. Applicants who require grants may indicate this on the payment form, once they have registered. Participants who are awarded a grant will be informed by July 5.

The deadline for the payment is July 10.

Optional visit to the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory 

We are also planning an optional visit to the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory  in the beautiful island of La Palma, on Saturday July 22, with an estimated additional cost of 100 € for Canarian residents and 200 € for non-residents. This trip will take place if it gathers the interest of a minimum number of people (15), a requirement that has been met in all previous editions of the school. The trip includes the return flight between Tenerife and La Palma, bus transfers in La Palma, lunch and a guided tour of the main telescopes. It is a full day trip and we do not expect to be back in Tenerife before approximately 20:30h.

Registration

Registration is closed.

Registration ended on the 30th of June.

Practical Information 

The school will be held in the “Sala Grande” of the IACTEC building, in San Cristóbal de La Laguna (Tenerife, Spain).

Contacts

Ana Costa – NUCLIO

Teide Observatory. Credit: IAC.

Organizers

The school is organized by the IAC and NUCLIO (the coordinator of the Galileo Teacher Training Program), in the framework of the IAC PETeR project, and is carried out in collaboration with the Faulkes Telescope Project, the National Schools’ Observatory, the CESAR educational initiative (ESA-INTA-ISDEFE), and in partnership with the European School Innovation Academy (ESIA).

Organizing Committee

  • Nayra Rodríguez Eugenio (Co-Director of the School, IAC)
  • Rosa Doran (Co-Director of the School, NUCLIO)
  • Gustavo Rojas (NUCLIO)
  • Ana Costa (NUCLIO)
  • Teresa Direitinho (NUCLIO)
  • Fraser Lewis (FTP, NSO)
  • Alejandra Goded Merino (IAC)
  • Iván Jiménez Montalvo (IAC)
  • Beatriz González (CESAR, ISDEFE)
  • Sandra Benítez Herrera (CESAR, ESAC)
  • Juan Ángel Vaquerizo (CESAR, ISDEFE)

Technical Secretariat

  • Ana Costa (NUCLIO)
  • Elena González (IAC)
  • Ana Quevedo (IAC)