Skip to main content
Print this chapterPrint this chapter

Astronomy for Mental Health and Well-being

5. Module 4: Design Your Activity

Learning outcome

By the end of this module, participants will be able to design, deliver, and adapt astronomy-based mental health activities that are safe, inclusive, and effective.

The Five Phases

  1. Assess

  2. Define

  3. Design

  4. Implement

  5. Review

Phase 1. Assess

Purpose
Understand your audience, context, and needs.

Outputs

  • Context brief
  • Stakeholder map
  • Target group profile
  • Resource and risk register with ratings
  • Referral map
  • Ethics and consent notes

Steps

  1. Context and community: Identify participant demographics, astronomy conditions, and local services.

  2. Stakeholders and partners: Map partners who unlock access, trust, or safety.

  3. Target group profile: Name stressors, strengths, and access needs. Identify advisors.

  4. Resources, risks, referrals: Assign roles, scan risks across five domains, create referral map.

  5. Ethics and consent: Decide on minimal data, secure storage, and clear consent wording.

Gate check

  • Target group and delivery mode are clear
  • One referral pathway confirmed
  • Top risks have mitigations
  • Consent and data plan drafted

Phase 2. Define

Purpose
Set aims, outcomes, and measures.

Outputs

  • One astronomy outcome
  • One well-being outcome
  • Success indicators
  • Mini evaluation plan

Steps

  1. Objectives: Choose one astronomy outcome and one well-being outcome.

  2. Success indicators: Use before and after sliders, percentage choosing an action, recall of a sky anchor, incident count.

  3. Mini evaluation plan: Keep to one page with indicators, methods, timing, and responsibility.

Gate check

  • Outcomes are simple and observable
  • Evaluation fits on one page
  • Data burden is minimal

Phase 3. Design

Purpose
Choose content, techniques, and safeguards.

Outputs

  • Activity blueprint
  • Safeguarding plan
  • Pilot plan
  • Materials list

Steps

  1. Content and mode: Select one or two sky anchors and decide how to deliver them.

  2. Inclusion and access: Provide seating, clear paths, plain language, journaling or listen-only options.

  3. Safeguards: Prepare content notice, opt-downs, quiet space, and referral contacts.

  4. Materials: Gather equipment such as lights, seating, sky maps, and first aid.

  5. Pilot: Test with your real audience, observe clarity and tone, refine as needed.

Gate check

  • Partner review complete
  • Safeguards and referral map ready
  • Pilot confirms mechanism works

Phase 4. Implement

Purpose
Deliver the activity safely and consistently while collecting useful data.

Roles

  • Facilitator: guides pace, language, and engagement
  • Safety Lead: checks site, lighting, and first aid
  • Well-being Focal: supports participants, records incidents, manages referrals

Session flow

  • Welcome with group agreement and content notice
  • Do a short grounding exercise
  • Deliver awe or perspective through sky, image, story, or app
  • Invite reflection in pairs or journaling
  • Prompt values step and ask each person to choose one action
  • Close with support contacts and feedback

Adaptation

  • Switch delivery methods if needed
  • Provide accessibility supports
  • Use grounding if emotions run high
  • Manage group tension with structured turns

Safeguarding in action

  • Pause: invite calm and one breath
  • Protect: move to quiet space, offer water, guide grounding
  • Refer: connect to support, log incident

Documentation

  • Attendance details
  • Feedback with sliders and open questions
  • Incident facts and actions taken
  • Adaptations made

Gate check

  • No unmanaged incidents
  • Feedback captured
  • At least one improvement identified

Phase 5. Review

Purpose
Reflect, learn, and plan improvements.

Steps

  1. Debrief with team: what was expected, what happened, what worked, what to change

  2. Analyse data: sliders, values actions, incidents, quotes, themes, equity patterns

  3. Plan one change using Plan–Do–Study–Act cycle

  4. Share insights: short summary for partners and participants

  5. Check fidelity: confirm awe, values, grounding, and consent elements were delivered

  6. Ensure ethics: store data securely, delete raw data when no longer needed

Ready-to-use microcopy

Content notice
Sky watching can bring up big feelings or questions. Join at your pace. You can pause or step aside at any time.

Group agreement
Participate at your pace. One voice at a time. Passing is okay. Keep others’ stories private.

Values prompt
Choose one small action for tomorrow that reflects what matters to you.

Grounding
Notice three sounds. Feel two sensations in your body. Take one slow breath.

Consent
We will collect only what we need. Age band, language, and simple feedback. No photos unless you say yes. You can opt out at any time.