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SUMMARY:O40 - A Place-Based Youth Astronomy Camp in Khon Kaen\, Thailand: 
 Connecting Astronomy with Local Dinosaur Heritage
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20261125T031500Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20261125T033000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20261112T144139Z
UID:indico-contribution-886@indico.narit.or.th
DESCRIPTION:Speakers: Kewalin Thongpoyai (Regional Observatory for the Pub
 lic\, Khon Kaen)\nInspiring youth to pursue astronomy requires authentic l
 earning experiences that combine hands-on practice with meaningful connect
 ions to the local context. Such an approach helps make science more access
 ible\, engaging\, and relevant to learners. Based on this concept\, the Re
 gional Observatory for the Public\, Khon Kaen (ROP-KKN)\, under the Nation
 al Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT)\, has developed a y
 outh astronomy camp that integrates astronomy education with the unique ge
 ological heritage of Khon Kaen Province.\n         The Khon Kaen Youth Cam
 p (KYC) is a three-day\, two-night astronomy camp held annually in Khon Ka
 en Province for Thai youth aged 15–19 years from across the country. The
  camp aims to inspire young people to pursue astronomy\, increase their in
 terest in the field\, broaden participants' awareness of astronomy-related
  careers\, and provide authentic learning experiences through night sky ob
 servations and hands-on use of astronomical equipment. A distinctive featu
 re of the camp is the integration of astronomy activities with Khon Kaen's
  dinosaur heritage\, including field-based learning at one of Thailand's i
 mportant dinosaur excavation sites. Together\, these activities create an 
 interdisciplinary learning environment that connects Earth and space scien
 ces.\n         Over the past two years\, the camp has attracted strong int
 erest from students nationwide\, receiving more than 100 applications annu
 ally while accepting only 50 participants each year.  Although the first y
 ear faced challenges related to activity design and unfavorable weather co
 nditions\, participant feedback collected through post-camp evaluations wa
 s used to improve the program in the following year. Major improvements in
 cluded replacing a museum visit with field learning at a dinosaur excavati
 on site and increasing opportunities for participants to practice using as
 tronomical equipment. These changes resulted in higher levels of participa
 nt satisfaction and engagement throughout the camp activities. The experie
 nce demonstrates that integrating astronomy education with local geologica
 l heritage\, together with continuous program improvement based on partici
 pant feedback\, can create meaningful learning experiences that inspire yo
 uth and enhance engagement. This approach may also serve as a practical mo
 del for designing place-based astronomy outreach programs in other regions
 .\n\nhttps://indico.narit.or.th/event/238/contributions/886/
LOCATION:Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu Resort Ballroom III
URL:https://indico.narit.or.th/event/238/contributions/886/
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