Teachers taught to deliver out of this world masterclasses
Teachers have gone back to the classroom to learn how to deliver masterclasses in space at an exciting two-day event at Space Park Leicester.
The world-leading research centre opened its doors to teachers from across the UK so they could take part in a national project called Space to Learn which is being delivered by the National Space Academy.
The event at Space Park Leicester last week transformed the teachers into Space Advocates who will deliver masterclasses which teach students aged between 11 and 18 about the science involved and make them aware of the scope and possibilities within the UK space industry.
National Space Academy General Manager David Wilkinson said: “There has never been a more important time to enthuse the next generation in the STEM subjects.
“Young people are the greatest resource any country has but we need to educate them and show them all the possibilities of the future.
“Space to Learn seeks to do that in in a truly inspiring way. The National Space Academy has a proven track record of education interventions that really make a difference.
“Thanks to the UK Space Agency we can now reach far more young people at no cost to schools.”
The masterclasses will be closely linked to the curriculum and feature exciting hands-on learning opportunities.
They will examine a range of topics, including forces, rockets, fuels, gravitational fields, combustion reactions, astronomy, astrobiology, spectroscopy and electromagnetic spectrum.
Space Park Leicester’s Education and Outreach Officer, Josh Barker, added: “We were thrilled to welcome our partners from the National Space Academy and the newly appointed Space Advocates to Space Park Leicester.
“Space to Learn is a fantastic national project which features local experts leading high-quality, curriculum-based activities free of charge to schools across the UK.
“This programme truly removes barriers to opportunity and uses the exciting context of space to inspire and broaden the horizons of the next generation. “We are proud to play a part in it and hope that one day the young people inspired by these new Space Advocates will come here to work with us.”
“We are proud to play a part in it and hope that one day the young people inspired by these new Space Advocates will come here to work with us.”
The National Space Academy previously trained RAF Air Cadet Instructors at Space Park Leicester.
To learn more about the National Space Academy, visit https://nationalspaceacademy.org.
