The Stars for the Future project proposes the installation and operation of a community planetarium at the Refugio de la Infancia school in Antímano, a vulnerable slum located in western Caracas, Venezuela. The project will be located in an existing space that will be adapted to house the planetarium projector. This planetarium will be the central hub for the development of a comprehensive educational and social program that will use astronomy as a powerful vehicle for sustainable development and educational equity. The activities will not only develop astronomy education programs adapted to different social groups and abilities, including students with hearing, visual, and motor disabilities. They will also promote, through conferences, courses, and workshops, an interest in science, particularly among girls and young women in vulnerable contexts, who represent more than 60% of the student population at the 20 schools in the area, thus reducing gender gaps in STEM subjects. Workshops will be held that will use astronomy as a means to promote reading and math learning. Through lectures held at the planetarium, global awareness will be fostered about humanity’s role in the cosmos, the need for sustainable development, and environmental protection. It will also generate opportunities for socioeconomic development by creating approximately 20 direct and 30 indirect jobs, thus ensuring a lasting local social and economic impact. In particular, it will become a source of additional income for teachers, the majority of whom are women and will be trained as lecturers. This will have a significant impact on reducing the rate at which teachers leave their jobs for economic reasons.
