Following a successful 2022 pilot, Makers Empire partnered again with The Andy Thomas Space Foundation (ATSF) in 2023 for the second year of its Aurora initiative, delivering inclusive space education to eight more SA schools. The Andy Thomas Space Foundation’s Aurora program is supported by the Australian Space Agency, Maras Foundation and SmartSat CRC.
The Aurora Inclusion Initiative offers engaging and accessible education opportunities designed to promote space as a topic of inspiration for students living with a disability, with the potential to stimulate students and young people’s interest in pursuing STEM subjects in their study plans.
With one in six Australians are living with a disability, autism affecting one in 70 Australians, and autistic adults 12 x more likely to be unemployed, there is a need for educational opportunities designed to empower and share the talents of students living with a disability, promoting their sense of confidence and opening doors previously considered closed.
The eight schools participating in the 2023 program were Marryatville High School, Pulteney Grammar School, Errington Special Education Centre, Adelaide East Education Centre, Gawler & District College B -12, Mount Barker High School, Golden Grove High School and Eastern Fleurieu R-12 School.
Students and young people participating in the plot project were aged from 13 to 25 years. Special schools, alternative education facilities, and schools with disability units were invited to participate in the pilot project and school groups with significant representation of students and young people living with Autism Spectrum Disorder were given priority during the selection process.