Space Club
‘Space education for the future…’
The Space Club is an educative program established by the KSA Education and Outreach department. It involves interactive scientific activities, competitions and learning sessions with students from various schools around the country with the aim of educating the next generation on GEO-STEAM (Geography, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) and the significance of these subjects in supporting the space industry.
The aim of the club is to stimulate the minds of young scientists through exhilarating scientific engagements that will lead them into space exploration for the sustainable development of their country and the progression of humanity in the universe.
Our team currently focuses on four categories of learning including Space Science and Astronomy, Space Systems Engineering, Information Technology and Earth Observation. Content for children and youth has been developed by professionals in these disciplines to inspire, motivate and educate tomorrows scientists on their place in the space ecosystem.
Additionally, the program gives students an opportunity to interact with equipment used in the space industry such as telescopes, cube satellite prototypes, space craft models, geographic images obtained through space technology and space science educational applications such as the portable Planetarium. It also seeks to address Sustainable Development Goals such as ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.
The Space Club team hosts webinars, talks, shows, learning sessions, camps, competitions and fairs for children and youth around the country and will soon be available to students in their various learning institutions.
Space Club Mentorship program
Are you a student in primary school interested in Space? The agency is now hosting a mentorship program for students such as yourself at the KSA headquarters ( google maps location ) The Space Club team will help you understand some important things about space and the different fields and careers that you could pursue. The mentorship day is held on the last Saturday of every month for 15 students.
Here, students get to learn about the four space club teams and the different things they do in space. Some of the interesting things you can learn about are rockets, robots, dwarf planets and how we collect images of the earth from space.
The day’s activities run from 8:45am to 12:45pm. You can apply to participate in a mentorship day by filling in the application form using this link.
KSA’S EDUCATION OUTREACH EVENT
On the 4th of December 2021, KSA Technical team organized an Educational Outreach event at St. Scholastica Catholic School in Ruaraka for the students at the school. This event is aligned to the soon to be launched KSA Space Club.
KSA Space Club is an educative program which is being established by the Education and Outreach team to promote and engage students in Primary and Secondary School on matters related to Space Science, Space Technology and their related Application. The Space Club will comprise of interactive scientific activities, competitions and learning sessions with students in Primary and Secondary School students around the country with the aim of educating the next generation on GEO-STEM and the significance of these subjects in supporting the space industry.
The Education Outreach program which began in September 2021 with mentorship sessions hosted monthly at the KSA offices in Nairobi, incorporates Space Club’s activities as a way to encourage, guide and inform the aspiring space industry professionals. This program aims to expose the students to the emerging technologies in the space sector and their linkage to subjects currently offered in our schools to enable them appreciate and have a better understanding of subject choices that determines future careers. The Space Club will also give students an opportunity to connect with young, upcoming and established industry professionals in order to develop an understanding of their career aspirations and industry and give them guidance on relevant paths to achieving their dreams.
During the event, 60 students drawn from Grade 4, 5, 6 and 7 at St. Scholastica School had the opportunity to engage in activities and lessons on Space Systems Engineering, Information Technology & Robotics, Earth Observation and Space Science & Astronomy. The program was organized in 40-minute sessions with groups of 20 pupils being taken through the FOUR thematic areas.
Space Systems Engineering: Some of the concepts covered included the electrical components that go into creating different space technologies and the concept of space flight using rockets that culminated with a water rocket launch giving the learners an insight into some basic aerodynamic concepts .
Earth Observation: The session exposed the students to the need and importance of monitoring and assessing data and information using geo-spatial information systems (GIS) to inform decisions. In addition, they were introduced to the concept of remote sensing and the collection of images using satellites commonly known as Earth Observation (EO). Some important applications of Earth observation that the students were enlightened on included monitoring crop growth and crop yield estimation which is critical in food security.
Information Technology & Robotics: During the sessions the students were informed on the importance of robotics in our daily lives. The students were introduced to the basic parts of robots and the significance of these machines in space exploration.
The final session was in Space Science and Astronomy and was hosted by KSA’s space scientist. This session, carried out in a portable planetarium had students taking a virtual tour of the solar system. Here they learnt information about the planets in the solar system, the sun at its center and other objects in the earth’s neighborhood such as asteroids and comets.
Space Science & Astronomy: The students were taken through the Solar System as well as stars and related constellations. They were also informed on differentiating stars and planets when undertaking observations.
In summary
Each lesson had question and answer sessions and career guidance in the different fields that students can pursue in future.
As the new year begins, the Space Club team is gearing towards reaching more schools around the country on a more regular basis. KSA is in the process of developing content that will be used by students involved in Space Clubs. In the early stages, the students will just need to sign up to join the Space Club hosted by KSA. It is envisioned that Schools that are interested in setting up their own Space Club in their schools will be encouraged to do so with guidance from KSA Education & Outreach team.
Using the agency’s newly developed student’s content in the various space disciplines, students in different schools will be guided and mentored on their journeys towards their space careers of interest. Virtual lessons will also be made available for students who wish to learn more outside their school settings. These are some of the many Space Club activities planned to promote the Club’s motto.
Space Club – Space Education for the future.
GLOBE PROGRAM (KENYA)
The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program is a worldwide, hands-on, primary and secondary school-based science and education program. GLOBE supports students, teachers, and scientists in collaborations using inquiry-based investigations of the environment and the earth system.
GLOBE currently works in close partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and National Science Foundation (NSF) in studies and research about the dynamics of Earth's environment.
Announced in 1994, GLOBE began operations on Earth Day 1995. Today, the international GLOBE network has grown to include representatives from 122 participating countries and 136 U.S. partners coordinating GLOBE activities that are integrated into their local and regional communities. There are more than 35,000 GLOBE-trained teachers working in over 34,000 schools around the world. To date, GLOBE students have contributed more than 165 million measurements to the GLOBE database for use in their inquiry-based science projects.
In 2003, NASA and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) entered into a cooperative agreement for operation and management of the GLOBE Program and this is still in effect. UCAR is in-charge of the operations of the GLOBE Implementation Office (GIO) and is based in Boulder, Colorado in the United States.
Country participation in GLOBE is through government-to-government agreements. The involvement of US embassies helps sustain program support. The GLOBE program comprises of two main program elements: common program elements which are funded by the US Government through NASA and individual country provided program elements funded by the host country.
For more details on the GLOBE Program, kindly visit the GLOBE Website on this link. In addition, more information on the GLOBE Program and its implementation in Kenya can be found on the links below;
- Educational elements of the GLOBE Program
- GLOBE Protocols
- Benefits of GLOBE Program
- Implementation of GLOBE Program in Kenya