FILIPINO students are encouraged to explore careers related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), more specifically in space science and technology (S&T), the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) said in a statement on Thursday.
According to PhilSA, it hopes to elevate the interest and learning standards in space science through its annual Space Science Camp.
“The various topics and lessons during the camp served as a foundation for students to generate insights for research proposals focused on space science and technology applications (SSTA),” it stated.
The space agency also noted that educators who joined also prepared a work plan with integrated space science activities into their instructional and teaching-related materials.
By educating more students about the opportunities in the space industry, PhilSA hopes to generate future generations of space scientists, engineers, and communicators who will “drive the country’s space programs and contribute to nation-building.”
Some of the activities during the 4-day camp include learning space technology applications, missions and payloads of Philippine satellites, space systems engineering, the basics of space law and diplomacy, and rocketry.
Students also learned more about the Asian Beneficial Collaboration through the Kibo Utilization program established by the Space Frontier Working Group of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum aimed to promote utilizing the Kibo, a Japanese experiment module.
“(PhilSA has) equipped us, not only with tools and strategies, but also with a renewed sense of purpose,” William Jefferson Tayamora of the City of San Jose del Monte National Science High School said.
In line with its commitment to the Space Education and Awareness Program, which intends to raise more public awareness about SSTA, the agency aspires to expand its space camp to other parts of the country in the following years. — Almira Louise S. Martinez
