Every year learners aged 16 to 18 years from all around the world meet at the NASA Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas/USA for their annual United Space School – this was unfortunately impossible this year due to known reasons.
This NASA funded project is organised and coordinated by the Foundation for International Space Education (FISE) to develop and arouse the young generation’s interest in outer space. So far more than 800 young people from 25 countries have attended the programme and were granted this privilege, since attendance is by invitation only.
Silke Redecker, a grade 12 learner at the Deutsche Höhere Privatschule Windhoek (DHPS), was one of the privileged participants in 2020 who got the opportunity to represent Namibia at this year’s Global Space School – simultaneously with her written Abitur exams.
Unfortunately, even the Global Space School Programme was different this year due to the corona pandemic. Instead of the scheduled 2-weeks-stay in Houston the participants attended daily meetings via Zoom, watched YouTube streamings and took part in virtual presentations. The teams‘ final presentations for the FISE board of directors and the daily exchange sessions were very time-consuming but worth the effort for Silke Redecker:
„For me, it was definitely worthwhile to participate in this programme - even during my Abitur exams. I learned an incredible amount, not only about the space industry, but also about other people and cultures. I found out that you can also be a team player through Zoom and that you can really connect with people in this way. I am also sure that I would like to work in the space industry one day.
It was a very long process up to those two weeks, for which I had to give up a lot, but I learned just as much. It took a lot of hard work and self-discipline. But it was worth it”, says Silke.
DHPS is extremely proud of their Abitur learner and the unique opportunity she seized so well. We wish her and all grade 12 learners all the best and good luck for the oral exams.
Read here Silke's detailed article.
