SpaceGates Academy was an ambitious educational program that introduced Greek undergraduates, postgraduates and young researchers to science communication, with an emphasis on astronomy, astrophysics and space and their application in a safe and scientifically robust environment. Its aim was to contribute to the development of the communication skills of the participants, introducing them to modern approach practices. It brought together experienced professionals, educators and communication scientists, who shared their experience and expertise with the participants in specific, weekly two-hour workshops. Topics covered included creative writing, storytelling, science performance, science communication, communicating planetary science through music, teaching astronomy using digital tools, STEAM education, organizing and managing outreach activities events.
Inspired by the success of this project, we are creating a massive online open course (MOOC) with the same philosophy, free to register. With this MOOC we aim to provide easy access to the knowledge accumulated during the SpaceGates Academy and to fill the lack of structured and comprehensive training on the wide range of science communication practices in most university programs.
The proposal to convert SpaceGates Academy into a MOOC was submitted to a competitive tender and is funded through the Europlanet Society – Committee Funding Scheme.