Astropoint - Raising the Astronomical Spirits of Innovation
- Paper number
IAC-22,E1,2,14,x74245
- Author
Ms. Farah Youssef, United Arab Emirates, N/A
- Year
2022
- Abstract
Astropoint is a Space Research and Space Education oriented organization dedicated to Spreading the Astronomical Spirits of Innovation to global youth around the world, founded in December 2019 on the identification of the lack of space opportunities and exposure in schools to space technologies, their spinoffs and their benefits to civilians and people on Earth and in Space. Through its various activities such as providing training to space-related competitions such as the International Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition, to MUN’s for the UNOOSA committee, it has trained students between the ages of 7-18 all across the world for space-awareness and research. Through the International Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition it outreached to over 500 students internationally through schools, clubs and various global organizations in order to train students who all became finalists at the competition and learned a new perspective on space and planetary sciences. We believe that the coalition and foundation of planetary sciences on the youth will create a generational impact on a stepping stone to reaching multi-planetary existence through science communication and camps on YouTube, our website and various social media platforms such as Instagram and LinkedIn. There often was a barrier for students in STEM, especially girls, to venture in such technologies as they were often discriminated against such opportunities, especially in less-empowered areas, we counteracted this through recruiting 17 global representative ambassadors (between the ages of 7-18) who receive mentorship from university and space professionals. We identified a gap in the space education industry that oftentimes space education does not empower students for future career opportunities that include entrepreneurship, innovation and the various domains of sciences with intersections of space, we launched various local and international school programs to outreach astronomy clubs globally in schools in Brazil, India, UAE, Egypt and many more with the provisions of training content for space and a platform where students are able to share their thoughts on the space industry on slack. For dedicated students, we provide research opportunities in multi-disciplinary fields, through the Astropoint team we included a team of students who joined the Conrad Challenge winning over USD60k worth of scholarships (universities such as the Florida Institute of Technology) and learning opportunities (a business accelerator). Through our research, we emphasize the value of incorporating space spin-offs and utilizing space as a tool to solve global problems such as climate change through our various technologies, water depletion, geospatial data accessibility, telecommunications and many more problems that can be solved using space technologies as inspired by UNOOSA’s goals. Astropoint’s missions are defined by values that 1 - Inspire the youth to innovate in astronomy as activists of the next generation 2 - ensure accessibility to space education and innovation 3 - Create 10X solutions, created by youth ,that solve both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial problems. We have received accolades from prestigious universities such as Harvard professors, UNOOSA managers, SGAC regional directors, and privately-operated businesses all in the form of advocating the need and urgency to include the youth.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)