The following press release comes from our friends at Astronomers Without Borders as they attempt to crowdfund astronomy education on the African continent.
Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) is staging its most ambitious crowd-funding campaign yet – a community effort to provide tens of thousands of solar eclipse viewing glasses for students across Africa. As an annular solar eclipse graces African skies on September 1, 2016, AWB’s goal is to have up to 100,000 solar eclipse glasses on the eyes of students across the continent.
Each U.S. dollar raised will provide a pair of solar glasses that will allow a child to witness one of nature’s most amazing cosmic wonders, providing a unique science learning opportunity that could spark a lifelong interest in science.
Through verified distribution networks and local partners across the African continent – schools have thus far been vetted in Rwanda, Ghana, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tanzania, Gabon, Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia – eclipse glasses will be delivered to classrooms to ensure every child will be able to witness the eclipse safely and in all its glory.
In a similar, highly successful campaign for the 2013 African eclipse, AWB sent 13,700 glasses to classrooms throughout Africa. This time, with more time and resources, AWB will provide eclipse glasses to allow tens of thousands more students to experience this rare event.
With its global astronomy community, partners, and reach, Astronomers Without Borders is uniquely positioned to help African schools turn the eclipse into an active science lesson, something far too uncommon in many parts of Africa.
But this crowdfunding campaign will succeed only through the participation of as many supporters as possible. Please help spread the word about this very special educational opportunity for African students to do science for a day, and perhaps ignite a passion that will last a lifetime.
Astronomers Without Borders is a US IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit charitable organization incorporated in California.
Visit the 2016 Africa Eclipse campaign page here.
