Afterschool Universe, a curriculum developed by NASA, is an out-of-school-time astronomy program targeted at students between the ages of 9 and 14. It explores astronomy concepts through engaging hands-on activities and takes participants on a journey through the Universe beyond the solar system. Students are fascinated by the cosmos and topics such as star birth, star death, and black holes. But they rarely have an opportunity to explore that interest as the school curriculum does not typically address these topics. Afterschool Universe was developed to fill this niche as the middle school years are a critical time in the development of attitudes about science and career options. By offering astronomy programming in out-of-school-time, where schedules are less constrained, we can engage students in Science and keep them interested.
Ms. Asha Sundararajan is trained at the Goddard Space Centre to teach and the NASA created Afterschool Universe curriculum. The other facilitators bring to the table a strong background in astrophysics or a keen interest in astronomy. The implementation of the programme in Mumbai comprises of a multitude of mobile planetarium dome shows, hands-on activities, multi-media presentations, technology immersion, and a scientist’s visit. These experiences and perspectives are truly character and futuristic skill-building. In the company of the stars students explore:

·         Cosmos, vastness, and relative age
·         Tools of astronomers
·         Light as a medium of understanding stars
·         Life cycle of stars
·         Birth of the sun
·         Black holes


The programme is completely activity-based.