Dear Supporters of the International Day of Light,
 
We are all looking forward with much excitement to the official proclamation of the International Day at the General Conference of UNESCO in November 2017. As this approaches, we hope that you will join us in raising awareness within the community and encourage everyone within your local, national and international networks to plan events and to take part!   

We can also announce that is possible to register your event for inclusion in the official International Day of Light 2018 calendar (more information below). International Day of Light events can be hosted on or around the date of May 16, so if you already know the details of the event(s) you are going to organize, please let us know so the information can be online in November.

In addition, there is the possibility for organizations to become Supporting Partners of the International Day of Light, and contact details are given below to obtain more details. There are several specific possibilities to support the UNESCO Flagship event at UNESCO HQ in Paris. This event will bring together around 500 attendees to hear talks by Nobel laureates and other major leaders in science, technology, art and culture, and is already shaping up to be a unique conference event for 2018.  

As you may have noticed we have also renamed our different social media channels to reflect the transition from the International Year of Light to the International Day of Light. Please follow us on Twitter and Facebook pages to stay up-to-date about latest news and use hashtag #IDL2018 for anything related to the International Day of Light.

Thanks again for your continued enthusiasm and help to make the first International Day of Light a great success!

John Dudley
International Day of Light Steering Committee Chair

Register your event for inclusion in the official International Day of Light 2018 calendar here. The submission must be in the English language. Submissions that are not in the English language will not be published. International Day of Light events can be hosted on or around May 16th, and please note that the IDL Secretariat may edit some content if needed.
 
All events must respect the general goals of the International Day of Light in promoting science, education, art, culture, etc. related to the broad themes of light and light-based technologies. All events should also respect the general aim of UNESCO in contributing to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information.
 
Any changes to events that have been already included in the calendar should be communicated to the Secretariat via email to dayoflight@eps.org.

There are a variety of opportunities to become a Supporting Partner of the International Day of Light 2018, and particularly the inaugural Flagship event on May 16 2018 at UNESCO HQ in Paris, France.  For enquiries about such partnership opportunities, please contact the International Day of Light Secretariat at dayoflight@eps.org.

• SPIE International Day of Light Micro Grants

SPIE IDL Micro Grants will support local community events and activities that highlight the critical role that light plays in our daily lives. The SPIE IDL Micro Grants will not exceed $3,000 USD and are available to SPIE Members only. More Information here.

• International Day of Light Kick-off Event