Author: Heidi White
Affiliation: University of Toronto / Dunlap Institute
Country: Canada
Title: WAISSYA: Inspiring Future Scientific Leaders in West Africa
The West African International Summer School for Young Astronomers (WAISSYA) is a week-long experiential short course in astronomy for West African teachers and university students, designed and taught by a team of astronomers and science educators from West Africa and around the world, using educational research principles. WAISSYA’s vision is to: (1) Contribute to building a critical mass of astronomers in West Africa; (2) Contribute to empowering young West Africans in becoming scientific leaders; and (3) Foster a global exchange of ideas about teaching and learning. Founded in 2013, the bi-annual school is designed to provide West African science students the opportunity to further inspire their scientific curiosity, develop their interest in astronomy, enhance their scientific practices, and offer guidance for pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). It also provides instructors with the opportunity to exchange educational ideas between continents and further their own professional development. WAISSYA thus aims to benefit society by supporting the development of scientific leaders in West Africa, with astronomy as a gateway. WAISSYA’s curriculum incorporates interactive teaching methods which are known to be more effective in communicating concepts than traditional lectures, centers the teaching of scientific thinking along with scientific content, and emphasizes supporting learners in developing their individual identities as scientists – which is especially crucial for students from underserved backgrounds. In my talk, I will present an overview of our unique program and describe how we have developed WAISSYA’s curriculum and instructor professional development to incorporate these research-based best practices.