Yumna Majeed (Pakistan) Reaching for the Stars: Inspiring Girls in Pakistan

• Yumna is dedicated to astronomy education, inspiring girls in cities and isolated rural regions.
• Often volunteers her own time and resources to follow her passion.
• Highlight: See Yumna’s incredible dedication to bringing the wonders of the universe to underserved communities.

• Phil Plait, known as “The Bad Astronomer,” discusses his journey in science outreach, from debunking astronomy myths to writing popular books and consulting for science fiction.
• He emphasizes the importance of reconnecting people with the wonder of the night sky, combating the disconnection caused by light pollution and digital media.
• Highlight: Science fiction’s balance between storytelling and science accuracy: “The story is more important than getting the science 100% right, but doing both creates a deeper experience.”

Inspiring Astronomy Education in Ukraine During Wartime with Taisiia Karasova

Taisiia Karasova is a Ukrainian student studying at MIT in the US. In this episode of Big Impact Astronomy, Taisiia shares her journey founding Astro Sandbox to support astronomy students in Ukraine, even during wartime.

Taisiia describes how the Astro Sandbox initiative fosters community and academic excellence in astronomy for high school students through webinars, tournaments, and resource archives.

Most importantly, astronomy serves as a grounding force during the war. Says Taisiia, “In times of extreme stress, focusing on studies and astronomy helps students stay grounded, offering a sense of normalcy and future hope.”

Chapters

• ️ Introducing Taisiia Karasova Mike welcomes Taisiia, a Ukrainian student and founder of Astro Sandbox, now studying at MIT.
• The Birth of Astro Sandbox Taisiia explains her motivation for creating Astro Sandbox, a community for high school students passionate about astronomy.
• Supporting Students Through Advanced Astronomy Discussion on how Astro Sandbox provides webinars, clubs, and tournaments to teach advanced astronomy concepts, even to middle schoolers.
• Astro Fights: Competitive Learning Taisiia shares the unique format of the Astro Fights competition, where students challenge each other’s astronomy solutions.
• Ukraine’s Astronomy Olympiad Success The importance of Ukraine’s participation in international astronomy competitions and how Astro Sandbox aids students in preparing for them.
• ⚔️ Studying Astronomy During Wartime Taisiia reflects on how the war in Ukraine has affected students’ ability to study and why focusing on astronomy provides mental relief and hope.
• Bringing Telescopes to Ukraine Mike discusses the collaboration between Astronomy for Equity and Astro Sandbox in delivering telescopes to Ukrainian students during the war.
• Looking to the Future Taisiia shares her hopes for future astronomy outreach in Ukraine and how initiatives like hers are making a difference.