Togo under the stars: a science outreach tour for the Togolese

From March 16^th to 26^th 2022, for the first time in Togo, we organized an astronomy outreach event: “Togo under the stars”. This event is the result of a collaboration between the French association SpaceBus France and the Togolese association SG2D (Science Géologique pour un Développement Durable). 

During two weeks, four French astronomers and six Togolese geologists traveled the country to reach a wide public. We visited schools, villages, and public squares and gave astronomy workshops in six cities: Kara, Sokodé, Atakpamé, Kpalimé, Aného and Lomé. 

At each occasion, we proposed activities created by SpaceBus France, designed to be fun and interactive. These activities include a presentation of the Solar system using a scaled 3D printed model, a hands-on exercise on meteorites with different kinds of meteorites and terrestrial rocks to recognize them, an introduction to space travel and rocket science using lego models, and observations of both the Sun and the night sky using several telescopes. 

In Lomé, we also provided an astronomy training for teachers of all levels, giving them educational tools and teaching resources developed by research institutions such as Europlanet Society, Paris Observatory, CNES, ESA, etc. These free resources and available on the internet can easily used to teach astronomy in classroom.

Togo under the stars has been a great success, reaching over 10.000 Togolese in total, with extremely positive feedback. This project, which was possible thanks to financial support from Europlanet, thus allowed the Togolese to have their first major astronomy outreach event. It offered a unique opportunity for the students to meet and exchange with astrophysicists and geologists, while the interaction with teachers insured a long-lasting impact on future generations.

More information : https://www.spacebusfrance.fr/le-togo-sous-les-etoiles