The Andy Thomas Space Foundation and Makers Empire are delighted to announce that Kids in Space, the pioneering national space education program, will be even bigger in 2024.
Kids in Space is an Australia-first program from The Andy Thomas Space Foundation, project supporter, The Australian Space Agency, and delivery partner, Makers Empire, that engages students in exciting, space-themed STEM learning and design thinking. Kids in Space introduces students to space technology and promotes awareness of job opportunities in the space industry.
2023’s inaugural Kids in Space program sponsored by The Australian Space Agency impacted around 10,000 primary and middle school students, hundreds of teachers and 70+ schools in every state and territory. The program began with state/territory professional development days for teachers with guest speakers from the space industry during February. With support from teachers, students then worked through the Kids in Space challenge course and designed solutions to problems they had identified. This was followed by state/territory finals in June/July, Kids in Space culminated in the national finals at the Australian Space Discovery Centre in October, with the winning state/territory finalists flown in.
In 2024, the Kids in Space program is 45% bigger, with 100+ schools across Australia participating, thanks to new partners including iLAuNCH Trailblazer, the Victorian Department of Education, Northern Territory’s Department of Education, Catholic Education South Australia, Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools, and the Milner Road Foundation.
The Kids in Space 2024 schools comprise government, independent and Catholic schools in metropolitan, regional, rural and remote areas. 49% of schools are located in regional, rural and remote areas and 44% of schools are schools with a value below 1000 on the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA).
The Kids in Space 2024 schools are:
9 ACT schools: Covenant Christian School, Rosary Primary School, Taqwa School, Farrer Primary School, Macgregor Primary School, Monash Primary School, Kaleen Primary School, Arawang Primary School, and St. Francis of Assisi Primary School.
8 NSW schools: St Paul’s Primary School, Belmont Christian College, St Philip’s Christian College Newcastle, Branxton Public School, Ourimbah Public School, Charlestown Public School, Rutherford Public School, and Woolomin Public School.
14 NT schools: Anula Primary School, Humpty Doo Primary School, Rosebery Primary School, Angurugu School, Borroloola School, Haileybury Rendall School, Alpurrurulam School, Jingili Primary School, Middle Point School, Wagaman Primary School, Malak Primary School, The Essington School, Driver Primary School, and Manunda Terrace Primary School.
14 QLD schools: Chinchilla State School, Dalby South State School, St Mary’s College, St Patrick’s School, Allora, St Stephen’s Catholic Primary School, Vale View State School, Rangeville State School, Tara Shire State College, Maryvale State School, Pilton State School, Moffatdale State School, Warwick West State School, Meringandan State School, and Kulpi State School.
26 SA schools: Coomandook Area School, Elizabeth Downs Primary School, Riverdale Primary School, Kaurna Plains School, Melaleuca Park Primary School, Virginia Primary School, St Francis Lockleys, IQRA College, St Joseph’s Ottoway, St Peter’s Woodlands Grammar School, Uraidla Primary School, Westport Primary School, Eudunda Area School, St Joseph’s School Barmera, Our Lady of the River School, St Joseph’s School Renmark, St Albert’s Catholic School Loxton, St Mary Mackillop School, Our Lady Queen of Peace School, Christian Brothers College, Our Lady of Hope School, St Mark’s College – Port Pirie, Tenison Woods Catholic School, Whitefriars Catholic School, St Patrick’s School, and Mercedes College.
8 TAS schools: Lambert School, St Aloysius Catholic College, Cape Barren Island School, Flinders Island District High School, Howrah Primary School, Lauderdale Primary School, Triabunna District School, and Sacred Heart Catholic School Geeveston.
27 VIC schools: Camperdown College, Golden Square Primary School, The Lake Primary School, Newlyn Primary School, Lancefield Primary School, Buninyong Primary School, Woodford Primary School, Bullarto Primary School, Carlisle River Primary School, Anakie Primary School, Coolaroo South Primary School, Rolling Hills Primary School, Western Autistic School, Parkmore Primary School, Mount Evelyn Christian School, St. Thomas’s Primary School, St Oliver Plunkett Primary School, Christ the King Catholic Primary School, Holy Name Primary School, Good Samaritan Primary School, North Melbourne Primary School, St Mary’s School, Echuca, Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs, Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School St Albans, Dandenong South Primary School, Nazareth Catholic Primary School, and St Cecilia’s Catholic Primary School.
10 WA schools: St Joseph’s School Waroona, Mercy College, Our Lady of Good Counsel School, Ashfield Primary School, Charthouse Primary School, Gwynne Park Primary School, Cooinda Primary School, Leda Primary School, Walpole Primary School, and Bull Creek Primary School.
Each new Kids in Space school receives a package worth $6,500 including professional development and training, Makers Empire 3D design tools and resources, access to a custom, space-themed Challenge Course delivered via the Makers Empire 3D app, and a 3D printer so students’ 3D designs can be printed out and tested.
The program will begin with state/territory professional development days for teachers with guest speakers from the space industry during February to May. With support from teachers, students then work through the Kids in Space challenge course and design solutions to problems they had identified. This will be followed by state/territory finals from June to September where one school will be picked to represent each state/territory and compete in the national finals. Kids in Space will culminate in the national finals at the Australian Space Discovery Centre in November, with the winning state/territory finalists flown in.
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