The First Webinar of the STARLIGHT Project

Webinars

On 4th April 2023 the first webinar of the STARLIGHT project was held.

During the three-hour video conference, a team of international professionals discussed multiple topics related to light pollution, dark skies, and audience engagement.

Firstly, after Greti Manfreda (RDA)’s brief presentation of the agendas of the STARLIGHT webinars, Stefanie Suchy (TyEO) illustrated the importance of the nighttime from a scientific, philosophical, and cultural point of view, as well as the causes and effects of ALAN, i.e. artificial light at night.

Secondly, Sandra Jiménez (FCL) broadened the topic from a biological point of view. Indeed, she focused on the importance of the day-night cycle for different species and the effects of changes in the biorhythms of both animals and human beings due to artificial lighting.

Thirdly, Daniele Gardiol (INAF) showed, by means of the Stellarium software, how to plan a naked-eye observation of the night sky according to space and time constraints, the horizon, and the seasonality of constellations. Furthermore, he highlighted how the storytelling of myths and legends through stargazing can be the perfect medium to engage the audience.

Finally, Enrico Di Nola (INAF) provided a thorough analysis of the theory and practice of storytelling. By providing accurate definitions and examples across multiple media, such as literature, cinema and politics, he demonstrated the innate curiosity of human beings for stories. Moreover, he drew a clear distinction between telling a story and building an effective narrative in order to enable communication through narration.

The first STARLIGHT webinar ended with a group workshop activity and Carlos Fernández Martínez (FCL)’s presentation of the Picos de Europa National Park in Spain, where one of the three schools of the STARLIGHT project will be held.

STARLIGHT Participants Selected!

Participants, Webinars

The participants of the STARLIGHT project have been officially selected.

The group consists of 60 people from all over Europe. Among the participants we can count 30 Italians, 8 Austrians, 8 Bulgarians, 7 Germans, 4 Spaniards, 1 Belgian, 1 Hungarian, and 1 Slovenian.

The members of this multicultural group are students and experienced tourism professionals, who will be able to increase their knowledge and acquire new competences in the field of Astrotourism thanks to the STARLIGHT Toolkit, but not only. Indeed, our educational Webinars will begin soon.

In particular, we will start on 4th April 2023 with the first webinar that will focus on the following topics: scientific popularisation on astronomy and biodiversity, light pollution and dark skies, environment and nightlife, astronomy and stargazing, and audience engagement through storytelling.

Then, on 8th May 2023, the second webinar will address the topic of experiential tourism and some case studies will be both presented and analysed. Finally, on 22nd May 2023, the third and final webinar will cover the topics of entrepreneurship and territorial and digital marketing.

During each webinar, one of the three Schools will be presented in order to start discussing with the participants their future field experience in Bansko, Luserna San Giovanni or the Picos de Europa National Park. Indeed, over the next year and a half, all of our 60 participants will be given the opportunity to participate in a 5-day stay in Bulgaria, Italy or Spain with a view to further enriching their knowledge and putting it into practice.

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The call for participants is open

Senza categoria

Registrations for the STARLIGHT project are open. The call, which will close on December 1st January 8th 2023, represents a new training and growth opportunity for young people and professionals interested in the topics of dark skies observation, sustainable tourism, biodiversity and light pollution impact.

STARLIGHT will involve 60 participants to learn scientific notions on astronomy, biodiversity, history and culture, light pollution. They will be then trained to create an innovative business, build experience boxes to be offered to tourists and finally learn how to tell the story of our skies and transform this into a job opportunity.

The course consists of 3 activities, including self-study, webinars and training at residential schools, with enriching exchange with local economic operators and tourism policy makers. The expenses for participation to Residential Schools, such as travel, accommodation, meals and activities, will be covered by the project.

The partnership covers six European countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Spain), which guarantees participants an interdisciplinary experience and a well-balanced training offer.

The available positions are open for two target groups:

  • Young Europeans under 35 years old interested in dark skies, biodiversity and sustainable tourism.  
  • Active touristic operators in one of the following economic sectors: accommodation, gastronomy, travel and tours, destination management and building and experience making.

The call is available at the following link:

STARLIGHT_call-for-participants_FINALDownload

CV and motivation letter should be sent no later than 01/12/2022 08/01/2023 to the following e-mail address: starlight.erasmus@gmail.com

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STARLIGHT project keeps growing

English, Meetings

Partnership met in Pino Torinese on 4 and 5 October. The project gets into full swing with Call for participants and first public event in February: next meeting in Slovenia.

The STARLIGHT project, co-funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme, focuses on the promotion of dark skies as a form of sustainable and experiential tourism. The partners gathered in Pino Torinese, Italy, on 4 and 5 October 2022, hosted by the INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino.

One of the main topics covered during the meeting was the Toolkit. Its contents are aimed at imparting knowledge related to three main thematic areas: Cultural Heritage, Biodiversity, Human Wellbeing and Health, and Astronomy and Stargazing. The Toolkit has been conceived to be easy-to-use for those unfamiliar with the topic and related terminology. The content will be available in English and the website will have an intuitive and attractive layout.


Furthermore, the project is now getting into full swing with the Call for participants. During the meeting, it was decided to adopt an open approach, in order to involve as many participants as possible. Requirements and costs for participation were also discussed.


In February, the first public STARLIGHT event will be held in Slovenia, with the participation of project stakeholders. Partners will also engage in defining the content and organization of Webinars.

STARLIGHT project launched!

English, Meetings

The Kick-Off meeting was held 7-8 June 2022 in Innsbruck, Austria

STARLIGHT (Skills for Tourism And Recognition of the importance of dark skies) is a project funded by the Erasmus+ EU program.

STARLIGHT project aims at increasing job opportunities for young Europeans (18-30) with an education/training background in tourism and upskilling for already active touristic operators, identifying innovative sectors in line with market trends and specifically the promotion of dark skies as a competitive asset for sustainable and experiential tourism.

Despite Europe remains the n°1 tourism destination in the world, European tourism is confronted with many challenges, starting with the need to constantly innovate and improve quality. The sector must quickly adapt to the digital revolution and develop new attractive products in a sustainable manner for local communities and the environment. New skills, competences and knowledge will be needed, both for young professionals and for experienced operators.

STARLIGHT will involve 60 young participants to learn scientific notions on astronomy, biodiversity, history and culture, light pollution. They will be trained to create an innovative business, build experience boxes to be offered to tourists and finally learn how to tell the story of our skies and transform this into a job opportunity.

The partnership covers six European countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Spain) and encompasses various competences such as astronomy, nature preservation, cultural heritage, local development and sustainable tourism.

The partners met in Innsbruck, Austria from 7th to 8th of June for the Kick-Off, hosted by the Tyrolean Environmental Ombudsoffice. The event laid the foundation for the development and implementation of training opportunities on “Dark Skies” over the next 2,5 years. “The inter-disciplinary expertise of our partnership is the key for creating well-balanced educational tools on this broad topic” the host is convinced.

Side events, such as a tour through the Alpine Zoo and a pulse by the Innsbrucker Kommunalbetriebe AG allowed glimpses into nocturnal wild life and efforts for diligent use of artificial light in cities. 

In the next months the partnership will work on Project Result 1, the training material Toolkit that will set up a comprehensive knowledge base to be used as learning material.

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