WE ARE LOOKING FOR AN IYA 2009 LIAISON

Applications should be submitted to;-

Agnieszka Lukaszczyk a.lukaszczyk@spacegeneration.org no later than Friday 4 July 2008.
The vision of the International Year of Astronomy (IYA 2009) is to help the citizens of the world rediscover their place in the Universe through the day- and night time sky, and thereby engage a personal sense of wonder and discovery. All humans should realize the impact of astronomy and basic sciences on our daily lives, and understand better how scientific knowledge can contribute to a more equitable and peaceful society.

The International Year of Astronomy (IYA 2009) will be a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture, highlighted by the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo Galilei. The aim of the Year is to stimulate worldwide interest, especially among young people, in astronomy and science under the central theme "The Universe, Yours to Discover". IYA 2009 events and activities will promote a greater appreciation of the inspirational aspects of astronomy that embody an invaluable shared resource for all nations.

The IYA 2009 activities will take place at the global and regional levels, and especially at the national and local levels. National Nodes in each country have been formed to prepare activities for 2009. These Nodes establish collaborations between professional and amateur astronomers, science centres, educators, and science communicators.

Goals, Objectives, Evaluation

The major goals of IYA 2009 are to:

Increase scientific awareness.

Promote widespread access to new knowledge and observing experiences.

Empower astronomical communities in developing countries.

Support and improve formal and informal science education.

Provide a modern image of science and scientists.

Facilitate new networks and strengthen existing ones.

Improve the gender-balanced representation of scientists at all levels and promote greater involvement by underrepresented minorities in scientific and engineering careers.

Facilitate the preservation and protection of the world's cultural and natural heritage of dark skies in places such as urban oases, national parks and astronomical sites.

IYA 2009 will be evaluated by a qualitative and quantitative analysis of how well each objective, as implemented in hundreds of national, regional and global activities, has been reached. Data will be collected by online questionnaires after the completion of each activity. The IYA2009 Secretariat will coordinate the evaluation. A rigorous evaluation procedure will follow each of the four phases of the project:

I. Planning (2006-2007).
II. Preparation (2008).
III. Implementation (2009).
IV. Closing, follow-up, evaluation (2010).

Space Generation Advisory Council is planning to work closely together with the IYA2009 to promote astronomy in 2009. Therefore we are looking for a liaison who would:

- be the contact point for all outreach activities related to IYA 2009 in the SGAC.

- be aware of outreach and media opportunities for IYA2009 in the organisation and to be proactive in offering support from IYA2009 Secretariat. To regularly update IYA2009 activities.

- be proactive in organising events and activities to promote IYA 2009's mission, goals and vision and to actively share their experiences with other IYA 2009 stakeholder.

- someone who has experience in outreach activities as part of their job e.g. press officer for an institution, astronomy schools liaison officer, science centre representative responsible for links to academic community, scientist that has an outreach component to their job.

- someone who has well developed links to other outreach organisations.

If you are interested please send your CV and a Letter of Intent to Agnieszka Lukaszczyk a.lukaszczyk@spacegeneration.org by Friday, 4 August 2008.