Advancing Astronomy Education Through Dark Sky Initiative on Design Thinking and Social Innovation

This is a poster presented at the 6th Shaw-IAU Workshop on Astronomy for Education, organised by the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE, http//astro4edu.org). Title: Advancing Astronomy Education Through Dark Sky Initiative on Design Thinking and Social Innovation Presenter:Sit, Exodus Chun-Long (Chair of IAU-NAEC, Co-NOC Hong Kong, Starrix) Despite light pollution poses significant challenges to observational astronomy, nocturnal animals, and energy consumption, it has rarely been discussed in formal education. This raises the question of how we can integrate dark sky education into science learning. This presentation highlights an interdisciplinary project "ASTROx", with student-led social innovation team, "The Starlight Squad," which focuses on dark-sky advocacy and science communication. By addressing real-life issues in the community, the project aims to raise awareness about urban light pollution. Students explored interdisciplinary methods and experiential activities, including outdoor classrooms, design thinking lessons, and hands-on experiences, to effectively communicate the importance of preserving our night skies. About the 6th Shaw-IAU Workshop:The 6th Shaw-IAU Workshop took place:12 - 15 November 2024. The Shaw-IAU workshops focus on astronomy education for primary and secondary school students and teacher training both in universities and in service. This year's workshop featured two special topics: an exploration of the first two years of the James Webb Space Telescope for the scientific topic, and the crucial aspect of evaluation in educational contexts as the non-scientific topic.More details can be found on: https://astro4edu.org/shaw-iau/Keep up to date with future Shaw-IAU Workshops and other opportunities at the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education by joining our mailing list https://astro4edu.org/mailing-list/Follow the IAU OAE on Bluesky and Facebook under @astro4edu