Astro Book Drivesharing materials to improve astronomy education in developing countries

Thilina HeenatigalaFounder - Astro Book Drive

Session 8: Astronomy Education and Popularization of Astronomy.11th Asian-Pacific Regional IAU Meeting, Chiang Mai, Thailand. July 26-29, 2011

Pilot Project: Sri Lanka Book Drive 2006 – Boston University Astronomy Department.

Founded in September 2009 by Thilina Heenatigala and Prof. John Clarke (Boston University).

a global initiative to share astronomy materials with

developing countries to improve astronomy education.

materials are donated by astronomy related groups

from wealthy countries.

materials are used towards teaching and conducting

programs for students, teachers and public.

as a result of running book drives, groups build a

special bridge between them which leads up to various

other programs as well.

Old School method?

VS.

Process

Astro Book Drive

Groups from developing

world

Sources from developed world

Book DrivesMozambique Book Drive: Mozambique Astro Club – Girl Scouts from CA,

USA

Jamaican Book Drive:Jamaica Astronomical Association – Royal

Astronomical Society of Canada

Rwanda Book Drive:Rwanda IYA2009 – Australia IYA2009

Book DrivesCôte d’Ivoire Book Drive:Ivoir’Astro - EurAstro

Afghanistan Book Drive:Afghanistan Astronomical Association – StarPals Organization

Tanzania Book Drive:UNAWE-Tanzania – Greater Portland Astronomical Society. USA.

Ghana Book Drive:Ghana Planetarium – Cornell University Astronomy Department

Book DrivesMaldives Book Drive:Maldives Science Society – South Asian Physics

Foundation

Mali Book Drive:Faculty of Science and Technology University of Bamako

– EurAstro

Nepal Book Drive:Nepal Astronomical Society - Southern Maine

Astronomers, Astronomical Society of Northern New England, St Anselm College in New Hampshire (USA)

Book Drives – on goingAstro – Library for langitselatan (Southern

Skies), Indonesia.

Indonesian Book Drive:langitselatan – Various (NASA, European Southern

Observatory, European Space Agency, University of Brussels and various other groups and individuals…)

Upcoming Book DrivesNigeria - Amateur Astronomical Club,

University of Nigeria

India - Gurudev Observatory

Zambia - Space Generation Zambia

Uganda - Mbarara University

Make a difference – Donate/ Share

Make a difference – Request

AffiliationsAstronomers Without BordersEurAstroBeyond IYA2009 – Special Project

ContactThilina Heenatigala.

thilina.heenatigala@yahoo.comhttp://astrodrive.lakdiva.net/