What does the ISSEF do?
ESA already has an active educational programme, but we want to take that further, to do more, to reach more students, more teachers, and thus to foster a broader and deeper understanding of the of the benefits, challenges, and importance of human spaceflight.
To do this, we have launched the ISS Education Programme, and with it a range of educational activities for primary, secondary, and university students in ESA's 17 Member States. The Fund will support the ISS Education Programme.
Activities will focus on:
Developing, producing, and disseminating teaching materials, and activities, about the ISS, to primary and secondary schools. Particular attention will be given to students 12-15 years of age, and to their teachers. Finding ways of ensuring that the imagination and interest of girls, in particular, is captured will be one of the objectives.
- Facilitating the implementation of research experiments, initiated by university students, to be carried out in space, and on the ISS, particularly in the fields of life and physical sciences. (ESA has allocated 1% of the total European accommodation and operational resources on board the ISS to support student experiments).