Note that these are simply ideas at this point and if anyone would like to send in their ideas or take on any of these, they would be most welcome. 

• IYA2009 full-year calendar with major events marked - distributed widely at the end of 2008
• Create a virtual universe in the form of an online adventure/strategy game (people create sections of the universe while abiding by the laws of physics - other players can then venture through these sections)
• Link schools around the world through projects dealing with astronomical observations (length of shadow; position of stars; etc)
• Street Astronomy (including stargazing at common cultural events)
• Develop cheap outdoor solar exhibits that could be built at and by any school
• Link Africa through the stars (African Starlore and continental stargazing projects)
• Through partnerships amongst African countries, develop materials on African Starlore)
• Produce cheap easy-to-build telescope kits for distribution to rural and poor areas (see existing kits at SAAO)
• Nationwide art/poetry/writing competition
• Astronomy Quiz for Africa
• Produce globes with Antarctica at the top for Southern Hemisphere schools
• Telescope making competition (including mirror grinding)
• Use cellphone technology for: co-ordination of observing; astronomy text messages; SMS notification list; SMS fundraising; Astronomy FAQ using GPRS; Astronomy chat groups on MXIT, ICQ, Skype etc
• Extend Google Earth to Google Galaxy and Google Universe!
• "United under the stars" - international programme for peace through astronomy
• "African Pride Programme" - use the stars to overcome the despair prevalent in many African countries
• "Mental Journey Series" - programmes/activities to journey through the universe
• Range of interactive educator workshops - guide, programme and materials that can be used across SA
• A set of materials that can be used during outreach (the "universe in a box" idea)
• Board games and astronomy activity books for children
• Astronomy image bank (also animations, posters, etc) for media and other users
• An "Our beautiful Universe" exhibition in each science centre
• An "Astronomy in South Africa" exhibition in each science centre
• A play (science theatre) about "star hunters" and our cosmic heritage
• Translating "The crocodile who swallowed the Sun" into the other 10 official languages in SA (and making copies available to libraries, youth centres, etc)
• Free-to-air radio clips (example STARDATE in the US)
• Standard (very professional and stunning) PowerPoint presentation on Astronomy in SA (with high quality visuals and animations) that can be used / shared by all
• "Top Tips" for Astronomy Outreach
• Develop a book on astronomy – easy stuff – that can go to every school
• We must have a number of talks throughout the year by people in the business – astronomers, engineers and international speakers
• Dark skies initiative
• All day symposium around the time of Scopex with speakers on Florence and Italy in 1609; The church in 1609; Science in 1609; Copernicus, Tycho Brahe and Kepler; Galileo and his family ( maybe get Dava Sobel out for this); Telescopes then and now; Astronomy knowledge in 1609 vs today; Jupiters moons – NASA photos; etc
• Make a replica of Galileo’s first telescope (or many replicas)
• It is quite possible that the observatory in Florence will be doing something commemorative, perhaps we can find out if they would like to contribute something here. Maybe they will have some sort of roving exhibit

• Incorporate "night hikes" into any existing tourism initiatives (thus also creating employment)
• Pool ideas from all facilities, centres and groups who feel they have had any degree of success in the area of creating a sustained interest in science among learners.
• Develop more programmes and materials that are closely linked to the school curriculum, so that they can be used by teachers and/or can form part of the learners actual school work.
• Include materials that could be used for work in small groups during visits, so that learners can to do simple calculations and /or experiments using a worksheet as part of the visit. We would like to see the work done in the small groups facilitated not only by the presenters, but also by the teachers accompanying the learners.
• Target teachers of groups that visit facilities, so that we can distribute materials to them prior to visits (via e-mail/fax ?) and/or get the them to the Visitor's Centre ahead of the pupils. This would give them the opportunity to participate fully in taking the pupils through the programme.
• Give teachers and learners follow-up material.
• Where possible increase contact time with learners during visits or restructure the current use of time during visits, to allow for work in small groups where the learners can feel that they are actively participating in furthering their understanding of science. Overnight visits are potentially good in this respect, but we would need more staff in order to increase the number of these visits.
• Include information in presentations on career opportunities and institutes where learners can study.
• Foster astronomy/science clubs in schools, starting with targeting the 'dinaledi' schools (schools in disadvantaged communities, selected by the Department of Education for upliftment).
• Help foster links/partnerships between science clubs in schools and ASSA (Astronomical Society of South Africa) branches.
• Sponsor appropriate astronomy books in libraries in 'dinaledi' schools, so that both learners and teachers have the opportunity to further their knowledge.
• Encourage/sponsor schools to send learners of younger age groups than is customary to science fairs. Many of the learners who are sent to science fairs are from grades 11 & 12: their subjects and the level at which they are studying them (HG or SG) are already decided. There is no opportunity for their subject choices to be influenced by their experiences at science fairs. Learners in Grades 8 & 9 should be attending science fairs.
• Some high level interaction (at government level) – DDGs, DGs, Ministers (Visit to planetarium – introduction to astronomy, talk by prominent astronomer what is happening in SA astronomy; Visit to SALT; Visit to KAT site; Talk by international guests)
• Regarding the educator workshops: develop comprehensive materials from others have done already; target high school and primary school; complete 30 – just a guess - workshops (30 in a workshop) in every province; fund two trainers per province to do this (trainers to be based at science centres / observatories) – they then stay on at the science centres forever? i.e. we must develop a model / franchise system for rolling out these workshops