Dark Sky Wales

The Opportunity

Dark Sky Wales is a social enterprise located in the South Wales valleys with the following aims;

To engage students with Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects.
To inspire careers in STEM
Promote dark sky awareness through innovative hands on experiences
Provide undergraduates with the opportunity to gain valuable work experiences

As part of its program of activities DSW operates a mobile planetarium that visits schools and communities throughout Wales with a particular emphasis on S. E. Wales Valleys. This program has seen tens of thousands of school children and their families participate and enjoy the wonders of the night sky. As a way of further engaging this demographic DSW has worked closely with its partners in the area such as the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, Careers Wales and the Valley Regional Park to encourage the public and schools to discover their own Dark Sky Discovery Site (DSDS). These sites can be located within built up areas but offer individuals a relatively better view of the night sky. An example of such a site would be the Whistle Inn at Blaenavon. In November 2012 DSW in conjunction with the VRP held an event that saw ~100 individuals participate many of whom enjoyed the hospitality of the pub.

With sponsorship DSW believes that it could engage primary/secondary schools in the area through a series of planetarium visits that could be used to attract a larger family audience to a series of themed dark sky evenings at local pubs (associated with the sponsor). These pubs could also (conditions apply) become DSDS locations and be placed on a UK wide map indicating their appeal to astronomers or just those with a keen interested in the night sky.