DUBAI 3 November 2020: The UAE Space Agency and Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre has announced the kick-off of ‘Generation Hope’ initiative under the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) – Hope Probe, the first interplanetary mission undertaken by an Arab nation.
Since its inception six years ago, the EMM aims inspire the youth through the Mars mission journey, motivate youth to develop an interest in STEM studies, and to build capabilities in space science research, specifically Mars science, within UAE students and science community by providing the opportunity through different outreach and education programs. In line with the mission’s goal, Generation Hope seeks to also promote space science education and research, and engage with the public from all age groups in the mission.
Generation Hope will also host Hope’s Science Journey webinars series throughout November. It will provide a scientific overview of the mission, introduction to a Mars visualization tools, information on EMM science data access, and more.
The first introduction session was held on 1st November and the second will take place on 4th November. The in-depth session, will be held the following week. Registrations for both sessions of the Hope’s Science Journey webinar are now open.
Also, bi-weekly webinars in English and Arabic will be held with the Emirates Mars Mission team to highlight different concepts in space systems and science and showcase the team members roles in the mission.
Generation Hope will be running two camps in December and January. The first is a five-day Generation Hope Camp in December that will focus on hosting workshops for middle and high school students aged 12 to 18 years old about Mars and related science topics, and the latest updates on the EMM.
The second is a two-day a specialised and intensive camp titled A Journey to Mars, that will be held for distinguished undergraduates in STEM fields, where the EMM Science Team will share their experience and expertise on their journey of development through the mission and insights about important scientific topics related to the mission and Mars research.
Generation Hope’s series of interactive activities also include the annual Teacher Ambassador Programme, TAP, now in its fifth year, which is designed to fully equip STEM educators from different schools in the UAE to serve as ‘ambassador teachers’ at EMM educational initiatives. EMM will provide the teachers with the knowledge and material required to educate and train a new generation of space scientists and engineers.
The programme will also launch a competition in December 2020, titled Newton STEM Challenge, which aims to utilise teachers’ creativity in process of activities development. In this first version, the teachers will need to design a game, experiment or activity to explain Newton’s laws of motion based on their current curriculum learning objectives.
Omran Sharaf, Project Director of the Emirates Mars Mission, said, “Generation Hope’s initiatives are in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to inspire a new generation of scientists and engineers in UAE. Reaching Mars is not the final goal, but it’s the means for us to build a culture built on research, exploration, and innovation. At the same time, these outreach programs provide the mission team with an opportunity to share its knowledge and experience with the next generation. We are pleased to see the growing interest in the space sector and look forward to continue hosting students in activities and events related to space exploration, and hopefully encourage them to consider careers in STEM.”
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