The IAU promotes astronomy as a tool to strengthen science education of young people in developing regions through its International Schools for Young Astronomers (ISYA) and a Teaching for Astronomy Development (TAD) programme. This article describes briefly the strategy, organization and development of these programmes. The contents of the courses, tutorials and aims for longer-term effects of these programmes are described with focus on the ISYAs.

This text outlines the main features of two educational programmes of the International Astronomical Union (IAU): the International Schools for Young Astronomers (ISYA) and the Teaching for Astronomy Development programme (TAD), developed since 1967.

The main goal of the International Schools for Young Astronomers (ISYA) is to support astronomy (education and research) in developing countries in organizing a 3-week School for students with typically M.Sc. degrees.

The context in which the ISYA were developed changed drastically during the last decade. From a time when access to large telescopes was difficult and mainly organized on a nation-basis, nowadays the archives of astronomical data have accumulated at the same time that many major telescope become accessible, and they are accessible from everywhere, the concept of virtual observatory reinforcing this access.

A second programme of the IAU, Teaching for Astronomy Development (TAD), partially based on a School, but also of shorter duration (typically one week) has a complementary objective. It is dedicated to assist countries that have little or no astronomical activity, but that wish to enhance their astronomy education. The fast development of the TAD programme over the past years is emphasized.