Podcaster: Nancy Alima Ali
Title: Cultural Astronomy – Astronomy Outreach & Teacher Training in Nigeria
Organization: Multiverse, Space Sciences Lab, University of California at Berkeley
Links: http://multiverse.ssl.berkeley.edu/, http://www.astroalima.com, http://solarcalendar.org/
Description: Santiago Casal, founder and project director of the César Chávez Solar Calendar talks with Nancy Alima Ali from UC Berkeley’s Space Sciences Lab about the connections between agriculture and solar calendars. Topics discussed include solar alignment sites from around the world, the legacy of César Chávez as a labor activist for farm workers, a description of the César Chávez Solar Calendar in Berkeley, how learning lessons from ancient cultures can help us answer the call of the ecological age, and the importance of reconnecting to our collective sense of awe.
Bio: Nancy Alima Ali, M.Ed., is a Coordinator of Public Programs at Multiverse at the Space Sciences Lab at the University of California, Berkeley. For over 15 years, Ms. Ali has been active in both formal and informal education as a classroom teacher, college instructor, museum educator, curriculum developer and program manager. Ms. Ali has a particular interest in exploring the ways in which multiple worldviews contribute to our understanding of the cosmos. She blogs about the intersection of astronomy and culture at www.astroalima.com.
Guest Bio: Olayinka Fagbemiro has seven years experience carrying out space and astronomy education outreach activities to school kids with emphasis on rural kids as a scientific officer with the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Abuja, Nigeria. With extreme passion for impacting kids and stimulating their interest in Astronomy, she goes from school to school, teaching kids and teachers as well. Olayinka is the National coordinator for Astronomer Without Borders (AWB) and Universe Awareness (UNAWE), two international organizations with focus on inspiring kids through Astronomy. She inspires kids through Astronomy in various ways, including establishing space clubs in schools and carrying out hands-on activities as well as training teachers to be able to teach astronomy to kids. Olayinka has so far reached out to thousands of kids across Nigeria since 2008, also mentoring a number of undergraduates who are studying in different universities across Nigeria.
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Transcript:
Olayinka Fagbemiro from Nigeria’s Space Research and Development Agency talks with Nancy Alima Ali from UC Berkeley’s Space Sciences Lab about her work providing outreach and teacher training to students and teachers in rural Nigeria in collaboration with Astronomers Without Borders and the Universe Awareness.
Transcript Outline:
[Note: Lowered internet bandwidth creates temporary slowdown at a few points during the video/audio.]
Welcome and introductions
Creating awareness of astronomy as a field in Nigeria
Activities for astronomy outreach:
Space Club for students
Curriculum & resources – using donated and locally sourced materials
Teacher training workshops
How students respond to activities
Traditional myths, stories and superstitions about astronomy
Example of stories regarding the Sun not being a star and superstitions about gods being angry during eclipses
Teaching students the science about the Sun and eclipses so that they can share the knowledge with their parents
Hopes for astronomy in Nigeria in the future – a generation of young kids that will be able to know astronomy as a subject and increase interest in science overall
Working with rural kids:
No electricity, no internet, no facilities but rural students have a better view of the stars because there is no light pollution
October 2013 total solar eclipse – bringing solar goggles to rural students to observe the eclipse
Perspective that rural students are blessed because they have better views of the sky than urban students
Need for more opportunities to study astronomy in Nigeria in university:
Only 3 universities that offer courses in astronomy in Nigeria
Directing students to schools to study astrophysics and astronomy
Olayinka’s career path
Thanks and ending remarks: We all share the same Universe, it’s just one sky.
End of podcast:
365 Days of Astronomy
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