Resources
Over the course of its outreach work, Cosmos Education has used many different activities to demonstrate scientific ideas. They are available for download for non-profit use on our Resources Page.
Projects
One of our volunteer introduces us to the students. |
CE Zambia and CE Kenya run regional educational projects throughout the year. In addition, the four branches work together to run an overland educational expedition in Sub-Saharan Africa (The Under African Skies Project). In the past, we have gone from Cape Town to Nairobi, Nairobi to Johannesburg, and Johannesburg to Nairobi, visiting schools and working with thousands of students along the way. As our organization grows we envision this becoming a year-round project managed and run by our talented African team members and the Cosmos Education national branches in Africa.
Kevin Hand, the founder of Cosmos Education, has had an article about our work published online. (The article is hosted elsewhere and Cosmos Education cannot be responsible for the content.)
Zambia - 2011
Cosmos Education UK and Cosmos Education Zambia ran a project in Lusaka during May and June 2011. Volunteers from Zambia, UK and USA worked in a small number of schools to help inspire students to pursue an interest in science. You can read about our work on this page.
Zambia - 2009
CE UK and CE Zambia ran a project in Lusaka, run during January. Our volunteers worked with two schools over the course of three weeks.
Kenya - 2008
Cosmos Education Kenya ran a varied mix of activities in 2008, a summary of which can be found here
Research Trip in Kenya, 2008
Dr Kevin Hand has been working with Cosmos Education Kenya and local students to carry out field research at Lake Bogoria. Read all about it (along with other ongoing projects in Kenya) on the CE Kenya blog.
Kenya - 2007
Cosmos Education Kenya were busy running several programmes through 2007. See a summary of their activities here.
CE-USA - 2007
Caitlin Sanford spent the spring and summer of 2007 in Nairobi working for Cosmos Education and helping to build ties with the United Nation's Plant for the Planet Programme. (Cosmos Education cannot be responsible for this external website.)
Under African Skies
Our flagship project has been our expedition to sub-Saharan countries in Africa. Each year between 2000 and 2006, we have sent a team of volunteers from around the globe on an overland journey stopping in schools, orphanages, youth and community centres and villages. At each site we deliver inspiring and fun presentations on scientific and health issues. We aim to return to every location each year and are constantly trying to widen our network and improve our level of support.
Our sessions in each school always begin with the introduction of the team members (to drive home the point that national boundaries are not restrictions on cooperation) followed by the introduction of our rules:
- If we speak too quickly for you to follow, tell us to slow down (with a special hand signal.)
- The key to all of science: You must ask questions!
- The key to learning: You must have fun.
Science is important because it encourages us to keep asking questions. The heart of all science is the critical method of thinking: looking at cause and effect; creating a hypothesis; testing a theory; experimenting; and changing one's ideas and beliefs based on the results. From the results come more questions, and thus the cycle begins again.
Science Education is vital for a future of sustainable development and a peaceful, healthy integration of people and cultures from around planet Earth. The world in which we live is changing rapidly and many of those changes are being made possible through science and technology. The future generations need to be able to understand and decide what is right for them and what works for their village, their city, their country, their planet, and their cosmos.
Our chief aim is to provide a positive experience in science for our audiences. Perhaps they will go home and start to ask questions. Maybe some of those will be questions that are not easily answered, which spark curiosity and inquiry. If this is the case, we will have done what we set out to do.
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UAS 2006
We are proud to announce that our UAS project in Kenya has completed successfully. We visited schools and other institutions in Nairobi for two weeks and Meru for the fortnight after with fun, hands-on Science activities. Details on the UAS project are now online.
UAS 2005
Kenya and Zambia were the destinations. Our reports on both legs are now available.
Under African Skies: Kenya, 2004
CE Kenya coordinated this UAS Project, which took place in October of 2004. We had many fun and thought provoking sessions with the students in Nairobi Schools. A review of UAS Kenya, 2004 is here.
We've also posted these pictures.
Under African Skies: Zambia, 2004
Water, Health, The Environment: Our hands-on experiments were a lot of fun used at schools and youth centers in Lusaka! CE Zambia did a great job of coordinating and organizing the program.
We've also posted these pictures.
UAS 2003
Education Expedition - Building a Brighter Future! Our volunteers finished a 9 week journey from Capetown to Arusha: Read about their experiences in the Journal
UAS 2002
As part of the 2002 UAS expedition, we organised a Conference on Science &
Sustainability.
You are welcome to view the following press release.
UAS 2001
The 2001 Under African Skies Eclipse Conference and Expedition were a resounding success. Over 500 students, teachers, and African citizens attended our conference in Lusaka. Along with talks by many notable scientists, our opening ceremony included addresses by the Zambian Minister of Science and Technology, the University of Zambia Vice-Chancellor, and Dr. Mazlan Othman, Director of the United Nations' Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA).
During our voyage by land from Johanessburg to Nairobi, Kenya, we visited over 30 schools and museums and spoke to more than 4000 students and teachers about science, technology, sustainable development, and the peaceful uses of outer space.
We have a downloadable Report on UAS 2001 (PDF 2.2MB)
We have also put up a full journal from the project for details of daily life on expedition.
Other Projects Supported by Cosmos Education
Lessons 4 Life and World AIDS Day: Zambia, 2005
Cosmos Education Zambia has been working with many partners to promote Health issues. Reports on the activities are available:
Plant 4 The Planet: Kenya, 2005
Cosmos Education Kenya has been working with Total Eco Challenge, UNEP and Schools to build up the number of trees in Kenya. They have written a report (PDF, 1.8MB) on their work.
Tree Planting: Zambia, 2004
Cosmos Education Zambia organised a tree planting activity with students. Here are the pictures.
World Telecommunications Day: Zambia, 2004
Cosmos Education Zambia recently organised a march for education through Lusaka to celebrate World Telecommunications Day. After the walk, there was a Science Exhibition.
Sun Spotting UK, 2003
On July 19 in Hampshire, England, Cosmos Education UK ran a local event inviting the public to view and learn about the Sun.
Sun, Earth, You 2002
An extra expedition to Africa in 2002 was inspired by the Eclipse: A team went out in December to use the Solar Eclipse as a vivid example of science in action: Here is the journal for the Sun, Earth, You expedition.
Cosmos Education Resource Network
Providing books and equipment to needy schools.
The Kasoma Health Project
Find out about this project by viewing our Kasoma Health Project Report (PDF 19kB)
The Burundi Deforestation Project
This project is trying to support environmental work in Burundi.
In Kenya, Cosmos Education Kenya is Registered Society No. 26710.
In the United States, Cosmos Education is a Project of The Tides Center, a 501(c)3 non‑profit organisation.
In England and Wales, Cosmos Education UK is Registered Charity No. 1100278
Cosmos Education Zambia is registered under the Societies Act in the Republic of Zambia, Registration No. ORS/102/35/3017.