Lighting the Path to the Stars: Astronomy Outreach Initiatives by Space Education Research Lab

This is a poster presented at the 7th Shaw-IAU Workshop on Astronomy for Education, organised by the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE, https://astro4edu.org/shaw-iau/7th-shaw-iau-workshop/). Title: Lighting the Path to the Stars: Astronomy Outreach Initiatives by Space Education Research Lab Presenter:Yawar Abbas (National Center of GIS & Space Applications, Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad) Astronomy and space science remain largely absent from Pakistan’s national curricula, limiting public engagement with these vital STEM fields. To address this, the Space Education Research Lab (SERL) of the National Center of GIS and Space Applications at the Institute of Space Technology (IST), Islamabad, was established to promote scientific curiosity and enhance astronomy literacy. SERL’s inclusive outreach model aligns with HEC Vision 2025, IAU’s Astronomy for Development framework, and UN SDGs 4 and 5. Through bilingual resources, astronomy camps, teacher training, internships, school visits, summer camps, and public stargazing, SERL promotes nationwide awareness. This talk presents SERL’s achievements and model as a scalable approach for astronomy education in developing countries. About the 7th Shaw-IAU Workshop:The 7th Shaw-IAU Workshop took place 18 - 21 November 2025. 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 Education focus session on Teaching with authentic data and the Science focus is on Galaxies.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