The latest news from Arusha, Tanzania:

The first week ends: some photos of the training sessions

The Ruehle's write from Tanzania as the second week ends

“Education is the path to a bright future.”

This is a common saying in Tanzania, where education is a passion. It is also the passion of Telescopes to Tanzania managers Chuck and Susan Ruehle as they prepare to return to Tanzania for four weeks in the fall of 2012. Chuck and Susan believe that the children and young adults of this small country in the horn of Africa have the capacity to learn and grow to become the future teachers, scientists, and leaders in their nation, Africa, and the world.

Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world, with teaching capacity limited by a lack of basic resources such as text books and laboratory equipment. Astronomy is taught without telescopes, chemistry without labs, geography without maps.

Telescopes to Tanzania (TtT) is working to change that.  Now a project of Astronomers Without Borders (AWB), TtT is expanding the teaching and learning capacity in many fields, including math, chemistry, biology, and astronomy. Since 2010, Chuck and Susan have traveled to on communities on Mt. Meru, a 4,566-meter mountain in east Tanzania, bringing telescopes, lab equipment, expertise, and hope.  They are continuing their work in 2012, using telescopes as part of a hands-on approach to learning math, physics, and geography in addition to discovering the Universe.

The Ruehle's and others travelled to Arusha, Tanzania in November 2012 to hold two-week classes for 80 secondary and elementary teachers at the Mwangaza Partnership for Education Center. The generous help of supporters has allowed them to take basic science equipment and educate the teachers in the use of these scarce  resources. These dozens of teachers will in turn impact the education of thousands of students.

Telescopes to Tanzania is also partnering with the Astronomical League, the Galileo Teacher Training Program, Global Hands on Universe, and Universe Awareness to build the capacity of the teachers and schools in Tanzania.

See a report on a report by Chuck Ruehle on a previous Telescopes to Tanzania visit.

For more information, contact Chuck Ruehle by email here, or by phone in the US at 262-886-3286.