Shaw-IAU Workshops by the OAE

The Universe in the Box is an educational kit developed for teachers willing to bring astronomy to 4–10 year old children around the world. It contains 40 practical activities and it is currently used successfully in more than 60 countries. This Box is based on a prototype that I developed and tested 2005-2008 during my work with children in Germany, Venezuela and Colombia. During this talk I will give insights on how the materials and first pilot programs were developed and implemented.

About Cecilia Scorza

Dr. Cecilia Scorza is an educationalist and astronomer with PhD in extra galactic astronomy from the Heidelberg University. After years of research at the Landessternwarte, she devoted herself to educational and public outreach activities. Together with Prof. George Miley and Claus Madsen (ESO) Cecilia initiated 2005 the IAU's "Universe Awareness Programme" (UNAWE), for which she developed the "Universe in the Box" (currently used in more than 60 countries). 2009 she coordinated numerous activities for the International Year of Astronomy 2009 and organized an exchange program on astronomy as part of the German-South African Year of Science 2012-2013. From 2007-2012 she coordinated the educational program of the German SOFIA Institute (DSI) at the University of Stuttgart, founded a national wide SOFIA teachers' network, and initiated the SOFIA teachers' flight program. From 2011 to 2016 she worked at the University of Heidelberg and at the House of Astronomy (HdA). She developed educational materials for the Collaborative Research Center SFB 881 "Milky Way System" and "The Journey of Ideas" for the EU-SPACE-AWARENESS. From 2013 to 2017 she supported the Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) with the foundation of the "Andean Regional Node" in Latin America. She initiated the DAAD educational exchange program between the Center for Astronomy Heidelberg (ZAH) and the Universidad Pontífica Católoca (PUC) in Chile. From June 2013 to March 2017, she was a consultant to ESO through the HdA, where she worked on the design of the exhibition and student workshops for the ESO Supernova. Since May 2017 she coordinates the public outreach and school contacts at the Faculty of Physics at LMU. Currently she works on the development of the project "Climate Change: Understanding and Acting" for schools and the Pale Blue Dots (PBD) educational materials.

In 2007 Cecilia Scorza received the Neumann Prize for Didactics from the German Astronomical Society (AG). In June 2015, the "Universe in the Box" was awarded the Scientix Prize of the EU. In February 2018, she received the Kepler Prize for Physics Education from the German Association for the Promotion of STEM Teaching (MNU).
Dr. Cecilia Scorza is an educationalist and astronomer with PhD in extra galactic astronomy from the Heidelberg University. After years of research at the Landessternwarte, she devoted herself to educational and public outreach activities. Together with Prof. George Miley and Claus Madsen (ESO) Cecilia initiated 2005 the IAU's "Universe Awareness Programme" (UNAWE), for which she developed the "Universe in the Box" (currently used in more than 60 countries). 2009 she coordinated numerous activities for the International Year of Astronomy 2009 and organized an exchange program on astronomy as part of the German-South African Year of Science 2012-2013. From 2007-2012 she coordinated the educational program of the German SOFIA Institute (DSI) at the University of Stuttgart, founded a national wide SOFIA teachers' network, and initiated the SOFIA teachers' flight program. From 2011 to 2016 she worked at the University of Heidelberg and at the House of Astronomy (HdA). She developed educational materials for the Collaborative Research Center SFB 881 "Milky Way System" and "The Journey of Ideas" for the EU-SPACE-AWARENESS. From 2013 to 2017 she supported the Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) with the foundation of the "Andean Regional Node" in Latin America. She initiated the DAAD educational exchange program between the Center for Astronomy Heidelberg (ZAH) and the Universidad Pontífica Católoca (PUC) in Chile. From June 2013 to March 2017, she was a consultant to ESO through the HdA, where she worked on the design of the exhibition and student workshops for the ESO Supernova. Since May 2017 she coordinates the public outreach and school contacts at the Faculty of Physics at LMU. Currently she works on the development of the project "Climate Change: Understanding and Acting" for schools and the Pale Blue Dots (PBD) educational materials.

In 2007 Cecilia Scorza received the Neumann Prize for Didactics from the German Astronomical Society (AG). In June 2015, the "Universe in the Box" was awarded the Scientix Prize of the EU. In February 2018, she received the Kepler Prize for Physics Education from the German Association for the Promotion of STEM Teaching (MNU).

Watch a recording of this talk (external link)