Speaker
Description
Career Dreams Centre, a pioneering tourism and hospitality training institution in Botswana, has been operating for over nineteen years and stands among the first schools in the country to offer professional safari guiding programmes. From its early inception, the Centre integrated a foundational astronomy module into its safari guiding curriculum, emphasizing understanding celestial navigation, protecting dark skies, and recognising the impacts of light pollution on ecosystems and visitor experiences.
In its continued pursuit of educational innovation, Career Dreams Centre has established a collaborative partnership with Botswana University of Science and Technology (BUIST) to advance and modernize its professional guiding curriculum. This collaboration focuses on strengthening practical astronomy training, enhancing students’ ability to connect astronomical knowledge with indigenous knowledge systems, and enriching storytelling techniques that elevate tourist experiences in remote camps and wilderness settings.
The partnership further aims to develop expanded course offerings that integrate astronomy into broader tourism programmes, thereby increasing public awareness and community engagement in astronomy. Leveraging its longstanding role and influence in the tourism sector, Career Dreams Centre also seeks to support joint marketing initiatives for astro-tourism activities, including workshops, regional dark-sky festivals, and stakeholder-led outreach events. These efforts will be coordinated in collaboration with tourism operators, local guides, community groups, and trusts to strengthen Botswana’s position as a leading astro-tourism destination.
| Stream | Education, Development and Outreach |
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