One Day Aerospace Journalist: JAXA Space Education Program for Secondary Informal Education

Paper number

IAC-16,E1,8,7,x33681

Coauthor

Ms. KEIKO MIYATA, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Japan

Coauthor

Ms. Tomoko Ohkubo, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Japan

Year

2016

Abstract

JAXA conducts a program called “One Day Aeropace Journalist” (herein referred to as “Aerospace Journalist”) for children in secondary education as a part of its mission to use space as a means to learn. Space Journalist takes place whenever one of JAXA’s research and development projects has an event, such as the launch of a satellite. Selected children are given the opportunity to go to a Japanese launch site (Tanegashima Space Center or Uchinoura Space Center) and personally conduct interviews and produce a field report from their unique perspective.

 Aerospace Journalists are divided on location into teams and work together to come up with a theme for their report, divide the roles and responsibilities among themselves and cover the launch facilities as well as the actual launch. They directly interview JAXA engineers and researchers as well as staff from other organizations who take part in the launch, including JAXA’s President and project managers of the payloads. After they have gathered their material, they write and edit the content which, upon completion, is uploaded onto JAXA’s website.

 The purpose of Aerospace Journalist is not to simply show children a rocket launch, but to provide them with an opportunity that will help them build connection with their peers and with professionals. We aim to develop the children’s critical thinking skills by leaving the subject of their field report entirely up to them. We hope this experience will help the children think about their future career paths and we actively help them realize their own potential.

 Furthermore, JAXA actively assists the children who participate in our programs to present about their experiences in their local communities (schools, organizations, etc.). Most of the Aerospace Journalist participants are very outgoing and have high aspirations. We have learned that such aspirations are highly propagative and the report of one participant can positively stimulate hundreds of people.

 In this paper, JAXA provides specific examples, methods and feedback of this program. We will continue our efforts to improve this program and our space education activities.

Abstract document

IAC-16,E1,8,7,x33681.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-16,E1,8,7,x33681.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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