The Haute-Garonne astronomy school
With
The problem
A rare asset, still under-used
Access to scientific culture remains uneven across areas and social backgrounds. Amateur astronomy, like the science pathways themselves, remains marked by the under-representation of women and of audiences far removed from scientific culture.
At the same time, since 2025 the Haute-Garonne has had a rare asset: an open university observatory, whose educational potential remains largely under-used for want of a dedicated, lasting structure.
The answer
A regular educational pathway
The Haute-Garonne astronomy school exists to build, around the observatory, a regular educational pathway: classroom workshops, observing nights, training for teachers and youth workers, and outreach beyond the walls for the audiences furthest from scientific culture.
The project builds on the infrastructure and scientific expertise of UPS in Space, and on the educational engineering of Planète Sciences Occitanie.
National recognition under way
The application for the AFA École d’Astronomie label was filed in June 2026, jointly with Planète Sciences Occitanie, itself already a labelled school elsewhere.
If it succeeds, the Haute-Garonne astronomy school will become the 31st school labelled by the Association Française d’Astronomie, and the very first in Occitanie, a region so far outside this national network.
