Catherine Silvester from the Kikatiti secondary school uses a 5-inch reflecting telescope. Telescopes to Tanzania helps share the night skies in remote villages.
KAI STAATS/OVER THE SUN LLC
me that [they] really like [and] want to know many things in astronomy.” As his students discover more about the night sky, they
learn more about their place in the universe and potential future careers in the sciences. Most are already taking physics, chemistry and biology and have career aims that include wanting to become astronauts, he said.
Growing the effort In 2013 the Ruehles worked with teachers at six schools in the Meru Diocese, providing resources and informa- tion from Telescopes to Tanzania. Tis year they hope to reach out to four more schools and an additional 1,000 students via work with about 200 teachers. Teir organization works to integrate astronomy
into the national curriculum outlined by the Tanza- nian government. It also has partnered with UNAWE Tanzania, a nonprofit that offers educational materi- als and training for teachers (especially in primary
schools), children and others. Work continues toward establishing the science educa-
tion center and observatory. Once it’s built, Chuck believes Telescopes to Tanzania and local Tanzanians could support the center with funding from astro-tourism, where visitors enjoy Tanzania’s equatorial dark skies and learn about astronomy as they travel. Astro-tourism is likely to blossom in a country that
already attracts many visitors to Mount Kilimanjaro, Chuck said, adding that safari tour operators could be trained to help people explore the night sky. Tis April, the Ruehles plan to present their work at
CERN, the Geneva-based European Organization for Nuclear Research. And this summer they will return to the African continent to work with Tanzanian colleagues.
Learn more at
www.astronomerswithoutborders.org (click on “Projects,” then Telescopes to Tanzania).
Author bio: Barreto is a member of Luther Memorial Church in Chicago and editor of Covalence, the newsletter
for the ELCA Alliance for Faith, Science and Technology.
March 2014 33
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