Award Ceremony of Eureka Prize 2024

On the occasion of the 2024 Eureka Prize, the Institute of Astrophysics - FORTH, Crete University Press, ου ΙΤΕ, the Physicists' Association of Crete and the Association of Friends of Astronomy of Crete, invite all educators to an open forum regarding teaching physical sciences, on Friday November 16 2024, at 18:00, at the auditorium of Vikelaia Library of the City of Heraklion.

The prize recognizes educational activities that are inspired by the most attractive and at the same time the most dynamic part of fundamental physics today: Astronomy. The purpose of the prize is to exert a small positive effect on a long-term trend of degradation in the quality of scientific education in Greece, which often focuses on a sterile examination-based learning system, with the background and final judge of their efforts the national exams.

Among the excellent candidates for  2024 the committee selected Dr. Maria Eleftheriou highs chool teacher at the General Lyceum of Heraklion for her original project entitled "The distant light of stars through the life of Annie Jump Cannon" which was implemented during the 2023-24 academic year.

Vasiliki Pavlidou, Professor at the Dept. of Physics of the Univ. of Crete and Chair of the Prize Committee as well as Stephanos Trachanos, Director of  Mathesis and Vice Chair of the Prize Committee, will introduce this years winner.

The prize is accompanied by a cash prize of € 3,000 of which € 2,000 will be given to the award-winning teacher and € 1,000 at his / her school in the form of laboratory or other equipment intended for the Astronomical Laboratory of the school which can be ordered from «Πλανητάριο Θεσσαλονίκης».

On the occasion of the award, the event will focus on the new challenges and the "New horizons opening up in Physics: from Artificial Intelligence to Astronomy Education".

The banner of the event is available here.

More information, in Greek, are available from the web page of the prize:  eurekaprize.gr