CNES and young people

CNES/CSG and education for Space

Education for Space is a major theme of CNES communication policy for French Guiana. It is divided into various operations: organising events (science festival, opening of the youth internet site for the CSG), school visits, micro-rocket workshops, exhibitions and the Space Museum.

School visits

For some years now, for the purpose of adapting to specific school needs for information, CNES/CSG has been organising visits of the Space centre for school pupils as well as for junior high school and high school students in French Guiana, most often following initiatives taken by teachers and research librarians.
As a first observation phase for students, far removed for books and television, a visit to the facilities at the Guiana Space Centre gives students a special opportunity to become aware of the world of science, to discover the Ariane adventure from behind the scenes and to better understand with their own senses how the site operates, why rockets are sent into space, the various stages of a launch, etc. In short, to better understand what Space is used for, how it works, and why there is a launch base in French Guiana.

The principle behind school visits involves a formalised pedagogical approach by teachers to enable students to improve their knowledge and consolidate it as part of a pedagogical action project (PAE).

In 2004 CNES/CSG reinforced its policy of encouraging awareness of new technology and popularising Space activities for the general public and students. A few examples of actions undertaken are :

• a videoconference with Guadeloupe from the Jupiter VIP rooms as part of the ‘Carbet prize for high school students’ event.
• a visit to the CSG for two science stream classes in their penultimate year before graduating from high school.
• ‘space stories and accounts’ in the Jupiter centre during the Semaine de la francophonie (Week for the French-Speaking World)
• visits of second year primary school students organised by the Montargue association as part of the ‘Lire en fête’ festival (to encourage reading of books),
• activities day for a playful approach to the Space world as part of the ‘Science festival’.

In 2004, CNES/CSG organised 72 guided tours and welcomed about 6,000 school students from French Guiana.

Partnership with the Rectorat

At the beginning of the 2004/2005 school year, the CNES communication department and the Chargé de Mission for Space, recently appointed by the Rectorat, started discussions on a possible partnership.

The partnership should lead to the signing of a formal agreement for implementing pedagogical actions at the start of the 2005-2006 school year.

Micro-rocket workshops

In order to promote Space techniques as a part of ‘Education for Space', CNES has, for some years now, also been organising workshops for the benefit of school children in French Guiana for making and launching micro-rockets.

The theoretical part of the workshops enables young people to learn about aeronautical and physical techniques which are indispensable for understanding the basic principles for building rockets, which they then make and decorate themselves in their classroom. During the practical part, the students launch their micro-rockets either within their communes or at the Space Museum.

This outreach activity for promoting interest in Space is the practical result of a pedagogical experiment conducted jointly with teachers and has become increasingly popular as more and more teachers have asked CNES to organise workshops for them.

In 2004, 12 micro-rocket workshops were organised, thus enabling 524 young people to take part in different workshops for manufacturing and launching micro-rockets.

>> The CNES youth portal - Cnes-edu >> For more information on micro-rocket workshops go to the youth section. >> The ‘Questions about Space ’ exhibition This is made available to schools on loan and for exhibition within their establishment. >> The Space Museum This is a not-to-be missed opportunity for popularising science for French Guiana students. >> The youth area on the CSG Internet site Specially designed to make Ariane and the Guiana Space Centre accessible to young people. >> The documentation and information centre (CDI) Some CDI activities are particularly intended for young people and teachers.