Abstract | We describe the achievements of astronomy education, outreach and communication in Canada, past and present, and our hopes and dreams for the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009): To offer an engaging astronomy experience to every person in Canada and to cultivate partnerships that sustain public interest in astronomy. Despite challenges such as the lack of major funding sources, much has been accomplished through volunteer efforts, especially in the last decade. These have been intensified by IYA2009 and have been facilitated by the “partnership approach” that includes professional astronomers in government and academia, amateur astronomers in both anglophone and francophone Canada, planetariums and science centres, astronomy communicators and other members of “the astronomical education community |
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