BAHRAINI children can let their imagination run wild as they design their own space suits and spacecraft as part of a competition organised by the National Space Sciences Agency (NSSA).
Youngsters from across the kingdom aged seven to 12 are urged to practise their design-and-build skills as NSSA promotes awareness of various space-related career opportunities that await them in the future.
According to NSSA media executive secretary Fatema Al Hammadi, the competition has been planned out to encourage the children’s imagination and channel their artistic skills so they too can go where no man or woman has gone before.
“The main objective of this competition is to raise awareness about the various space-related careers, as well as encourage the participants to get involved in space in a fun yet educational way,” she told the GDN.
“Through their ideas they will learn how many layers of material are in a space suit which they must creatively design, as well as come up with exciting artistic designs for spacecrafts.
“This will surely increase awareness about how art and design work hand-in-hand with space science.”
She added that the art work must convey space as the theme and the design must be both functional and suitable for space travel and survival.
Ms Al Hammadi also highlighted the importance of providing children with creative challenges.
Ms Al Hammadi
“Skills that we can easily work to embed at such a young age can vary between communication, analytical skills, problem-solving and teamwork,” she added.
“Another key element as to why we should consider involving children in space science is to simply consider the advancements in society, as well as the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) field.
“In recent years, space-based technologies have become an important factor to reach and expand sustainable development goals.
“Involving our children in such opportunities is one enthusiastic form of expanding their career options and curiosity.”
The contest is the fourth and final NSSA competition for 2021. Participants may depict their two-part design either digitally or on paper and each entry must be accompanied by a video (in English or Arabic) explaining the design concept.
Entries will be judged according to originality, relevance and creativity and submissions are accepted until December 22.
“This is the children’s chance to render their creative input and have their name etched in space history as contributors to Bahrain’s first-ever space travel mission,” she added.
“Children will be challenged to suit up and take the nation’s astronaut to space in a safe, comfortable and high-tech vehicle guaranteed to lift off the nation’s aspirations towards the stars.
“These competitions are substantial to nurture the creative side of each child as imagination and creativity can build substantial social-emotional developments which are skills needed to join the workforce as leading professionals in their field.
“Children are born as tiny adventurous explorers and their ideas and imagination shouldn’t be taken for granted or considered small or insignificant.
“When it comes to children’s imagination – the sky is the limit.”
Entries must be submitted by email at nssa.competition@gmail.com and for more details visit @nssa_bh or @clever.play
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