Amateur astronomers in the United States are familiar with organizations like the Astronomical League and Astronomical Society of the Pacific. These groups help educate the public about the sky and decipher the universe's mysteries. Several groups like this exist around the world, including the Netherlands' Dutch Youth Association for Astronomy (JWG, in Dutch). This organization is celebrating its 40th year of serving skywatchers.
Some of the JWG's activities include introductory classes for youth, astronomy camps, and publishing its own magazine. The JWG has several events planned to commemorate its anniversary, culminating with the International Festival for Astronomy in Bunnik, the Netherlands. From November 9-11, the festival will attract young people 16 years and older from around the world. The weekend will feature presentations, workshops, discussion groups, and lectures by several noteworthy astronomers, including science journalist Govert Schilling and Carlos Frenk, director of the Institute for Computational Cosmology at Durham University, United Kingdom.