ESA School Days return to ESRIN!

From 13 to 17 April 2026, ESA School Days return to ESRIN. As in previous years, ESA's establishment in Frascati will open its doors to around 1 500 students, ready to be inspired by space and science. Registration is open until 16:00 CET on 6 February 2026!

What are the ESA School Days
Once a year, ESA ESRIN welcomes thousands of students from across Italy for an entire week dedicated to discovery, learning and inspiration. The ESA School Days offer a unique journey into the world of space: through engaging presentations, creative workshops and hands-on activities, students will learn how ESA monitors Earth and explores the Universe. The initiative aims to spark curiosity, strengthen interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and inspire young people to consider studies and careers in science and space.

Relive the 2025 ESA School Days and discover what awaits you!

Event programme
Students will take part in different space-themed experiences, including model rocket launch demonstrations, interactive workshops, activities focused on the study of meteorites and asteroids, and guided tours of the Earth Observation Multimedia Centre. During these activities, students will discover how satellite data play a crucial role in monitoring and mitigating the effects of climate change. Participation is completely free of charge. All sessions will be held in Italian.
The first three days, from 13 to 15 April, will be dedicated to primary school students (4th and 5th grades), while middle school students will attend on 16 and 17 April. The detailed programme for the 2026 edition will be sent to the selected schools.

How to apply
Applications to participate in the ESA School Days must be submitted online via the registration link, which will be active from 09:00 CET on 03 February 2026 until 16:00 CET on 6 February 2026.
In addition to the information required for registration, teachers will be asked to briefly describe the educational objectives of participating in the event, with particular reference to strengthening STEM disciplines.

Selection criteria
To encourage the widest possible participation, each school (identified by the administrative code of the main campus) may register a maximum of 50 students. Due to the limited number of available places, the selection of participating schools will be based on data from recent editions of the ESA School Days and will follow these criteria:

• Priority will be given to schools that have never participated in previous editions. This criterion is decisive and takes precedence over all others.
• Additional points will be awarded to schools that have applied in the past but were never selected or never had the opportunity to participate.
• If places remain available, admission may be extended to schools that have already participated in previous editions of ESA School Days. In this case, selection will follow a chronological order, from the most recent participation to the earliest. If requirements are equal, a draw will be held.

The outcome of the selection process will be communicated to the selected teachers via the email address provided at the time of application, in the weeks following the deadline for submission of applications.

For further information, please contact events.organisation@esa.int.