During the Public Outreach and Education Weekend of the 6th COSPAR Symposium in Nicosia, Cyprus, Rosa Doran and Carlos Santos (NUCLIO, Portugal), assisted by Juan Ángel Vaquerizo (ESA/CESAR), were on the spot to present EXPLORE to an international group of teachers, students, planetarium staff and researchers.
The participants were welcomed by COSPAR President Pascale Ehrenfreund, who emphasised the importance of education in inspiring the next generation of scientists.
The workshop programme was busy: after an introduction to project-based, student-centred teaching methodology by Rosa Doran, there was a presentation of EXPLORE 1, the first analog mission, its objectives and how it had impacted the students and teachers involved.
This was followed by a hands-on activity to show the importance of clear communication during space missions (and, of course, in real life!). This involved one group of participants going outside and issuing simple spoken directions via a walkie-talkie to the other participants, who wrote down what they understood. The second group then attempted to follow the path chosen by the first group using these directions. This activity generated a lot of laughter–and a determination to issue clear instructions when the groups changed roles. The participants learned about the other exercises students could do to improve their communication skills–in space it can be a matter of life or death–and to build trust.
At the end of the workshop, participants were invited to attend the Education Road Map Roundtable.