Dubai schools break the world’s largest space exploration lesson Guinness record
Up to 2,299 kids from five Innoventures Education schools participated in a five-day program where NASA astronauts and scientists served as their mentors.
The UAE has recently made known its lofty aspirations for space exploration, and the nation’s schools are now heeding the government’s rallying cry.
Innoventures Education schools recently gathered tens of thousands of pupils to break the Guinness Book of World Records for “the world’s largest space exploration lesson across numerous locations.”
Up to 2,299 pupils from 108 different nationalities attended the session from their classrooms at the Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills, Dubai International Academy Al Barsha, Raffles Global Academy, Raffles International School, and Collegiate International School in Dubai.
A number of well-known figures in the fields of space exploration and science served as mentors for the students, including Michael Holmstrom, CEO and Co-Founder of STEM Punks Ventures, Damien Aldridge, Education Director of STEM Punks, Commander Susan Kilrain, a veteran astronaut who has participated in two space shuttle flights, Dr. Michaela Musilova, an astrobiologist, analogue astronaut, and writer, Joel Gilmore, a professional science communicator.
This special lecture was delivered at Space Camp 2101, where Innoventures Education collaborated with renowned business Starlight Education. Children between the ages of 12 and 18 were given the exceptional chance to collaborate with real astronauts and accomplished experts from around the world to create a sustainable habitat.
Throughout the session, the students used design thinking techniques to build their own Mars rovers that resembled Opportunity and Perseverance. Following peer review, the students will get ready to prototype their ideas.
What types of tasks would the rovers need to perform once people have arrived on Mars? was another topic covered by the pupils. Would they carry out additional research? Or how about construction, transportation, and mining? What would they resemble if they could carry out these tasks?
CEO of Innoventures Education Poonam Bhojani stated: “Innoventures Education has always believed in offering top-notch education. Our aim is supported by the invitation of NASA astronauts and eminent scientists to Dubai to mentor our students.
“We hope this record-breaking session was a memorable, meaningful learning experience, and we are so pleased of all our pupils who took part in it,” the teachers said.
Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills principal Hitesh Bhagat continued, “We are very thrilled to see our children enter the record books with a truly fantastic achievement. As educators, we can only hope that having access to successful role models would encourage our kids to aim high. Through this effort, we aimed to give our students a fully immersive and hands-on learning environment.
Space 2011 took place at Dubai International Academy Al Barsha over the course of five days.