Turn off the light

“Turn off the light!” is an educational and scientific project aimed at young people, focusing on raising awareness about light pollution – one of the fastest-growing environmental issues. Through international cooperation, participants learn how artificial lighting affects nature, human health and astronomy, while discovering how modern technologies can help study the night sky.

Young people from Poland, Tunisia, Bulgaria and Italy will take part in workshops that combine astronomy, ecology, psychology and programming. They will build and code their own light detectors, measure sky brightness in their local areas and collaboratively analyse the collected data. The project will culminate in a scientific publication co-authored by the youth.

The project also supports teachers and youth workers by providing a comprehensive workshop programme and mentoring. This ensures that innovative approaches to the topic can reach more schools and youth organisations.

Internal Training in Tunisia (28–31 October 2025)

Between 28 and 31 October 2025, the first internal training of the “Turn off the light!” project took place on the island of Djerba, hosted by our Tunisian partner Association Jeunes Science de Tunisie – Club de Djerba.

The meeting allowed partners to get to know each other’s activities and working methods. Each organisation presented its experience and areas of expertise, helping us better understand how our complementary competences will strengthen the project.

During the training, we also shared the first drafts of the workshop programme for young people, discussing its structure, educational goals and the integration of astronomy, ecology and psychology into the final curriculum.

A significant part of the training was dedicated to hands-on learning with TUNIOT, the programming tool that will be used by young participants to build and program their light detectors. Partners tested the environment, exchanged practical tips and planned how to integrate TUNIOT into the workshop activities.

The training concluded with setting the next steps for developing educational materials and finalising the schedule for implementing the workshop programme across partner countries.