Bright Futures Program Ships First Solar Glasses Thanks to IAU Office of Astronomy Education

Thanks to support from the IAU Office of Astronomy Education, Astronomy for Equity (A4E) has shipped 132,500 new, unused solar glasses to the first 12 countries taking part in A4E’s Bright Futures program. Bright Futures provides lessons designed for introductory STEM education in unserved areas lacking science facilities and teachers. The glasses and other resources are provided to organizations already engaging with schools in their countries.

Lesson plans use observations of the Sun, a resource accessible to all. The physics of the Sun and sunlight reaching Earth can be used to introduce any STEM field. These first opportunities to study science are known to inspire students and provide hope for a future in science that would ordinarily not be seen as accessible to them.

With more than one million glasses remaining, Bright Futures is expected to reach three million students in 50 countries, providing STEM education access to unserved youth worldwide through hands-on learning and accessible resources.

Organizations taking part in Bright Futures in this first phase include Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Senegal, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan, USA (Puerto Rico), and Mexico.

Above: Girls in a school in Nepal look at the Sun for the first time.