SPACE EXPLORATION & LITERACY IN THE CURRICULUM CONFERENCE

27th – 29th MAY 2022

Kids are Interested in Space, according to a Harris Poll survey conducted in the US, UK and China, 86% of children aged 8 to 12 say they are interested in space exploration, and 90% of them want to learn more. Interestingly, 83% of parents (averaged across the three countries) who participated in the survey believe their children are interested in space, yet only 53% of kids say their interest in space is fuelled by their parents, citing teachers (79%) and the internet (71%) as primary learning sources. With the 51st anniversary of the first moon landing on July 2020, many students will be curious about the brave astronauts who visited the moon and more recent space explorations. To help feed the students’ curiosity about space and inspire STEM reading and writing, Space Exploration & Literacy in the Curriculum will be of paramount importance. Students are fascinated by brave space explorers. Becoming an astronaut requires a lot of education, training, and hard work.

The exploration of space is among the most fascinating ventures of modern times. It has carried first instruments, then people themselves, beyond Earth’s atmosphere, into a remoteness that until relatively recently was hardly known or understood. Although its borders already have been crossed, space still holds mysteries and, undoubtedly, surprises beyond number. Space Education in the curriculum will allow students to access education, and increases economic prospects, broaden opportunities for social mobility, and contribute to the empowerment of students STEM, and Space Exploration knowledge. This conference will bring together leaders and decision-makers within the Astronomy & STEM community – engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, educators, agency representatives and policy makers to discuss current challenges and innovative solutions and it will contain opportunities to learn about how space exploration in the curriculum is important in early childhood education.

The teachers and students need to know and understand what the Space Science Sector is and the career opportunities it offers. ‘”Space” does not mean they have to be an Astronaut. The impressive development of Space Applications gives immense opportunities to those who study IT, Agronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Nutrition, Geography, Medicine, Law, Management, Communications, Electronics, Physics, and so on.