Draft:Colombia Space School

COLOMBIA SPACE SCHOOL is an interdisciplinary, transcurricular educational program for students between 10 and 18 years of age.

Through STEAM learning (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) the program promotes teamwork, problem solving, communication and engineering solutions to space related situations. It is designed to develop and improve critical thinking skills, fiscal responsibility, creativity and the drive to be successful. Students are inspired to learn about space exploration. STEAM focuses on sparking imagination and creativity through the arts in ways that naturally align with STEM learning.

We design a manned mission to Mars; We simulate and test all the aspects that a NASA mission would need. We design, build and launch a rocket, a landing device (Lander), and an exploration vehicle (Rover). Students will discover areas such as robotics, rocketry, thermal protection systems and space habitats. Participants will be inspired as they engineer solutions to space related challenges, collaborate to find solutions and go behind-the-scenes at NASA Johnson Space Center. The program culminates with a social distancing graduation ceremony celebrating the students’ accomplishments and a virtual astronaut presentation with Q&A.

The program is a pioneer in Colombia and Latin America in the participation of Educational Programs through Space Centers since 2009. The program seeks to discover students interested in sciences and applied arts in space science.

This experience entails growth in terms of knowledge in cutting-edge research accompanied by a high level of emotional development as it involves teamwork, commitment and responsibility. Given the characteristics of this program, the academic level is enhanced, the profile of the participants is raised and a whole range of possibilities opens up in terms of inter-institutional relations and academic prestige for the school that join this initiative.

To date, boys and girls between 10 and 18 years of age, from around twenty educational institutions in the country have represented the country as ambassadors of Colombian scientific youth through COLOMBIA SPACE SCHOOL.