Eutelsat… Star Awards To Encourage African Students (STEM)

[SatNews] Digital services made available by satellite to all four corners of the world are recognised as powerful engines driving economic and social progress.

To continue to propel forward the expansion and democratisation of the Information Society, the development of technology and science skills among students is a key factor. Africa is no exception to this — much like other regions of the world, stimulating young minds is core to creating relevant solutions for the development of the African continent.

With a shared vision that education is a key driver for the development of Africa’s social and economic landscape, MultiChoice Africa and Eutelsat Communications, supported by Mindset Learn, have assembled their expertise to initiate a pan-African student competition called the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards. The aim of the Awards is to inspire innovative thinking among secondary and high-school students, to create awareness on how science and technology can be applied to everyday life, and to show the many ways that satellites already impact on the development of the African continent.

The awards take the form of a competition open to 14-19 year-old students in 42 countries. Students are invited to write an essay or design a poster on satellite technology and how it can assist further development of their communities, country or the African continent. Country winners vying for the overall prize will go on to compete at international level, adjudicated on September 12, 2011, by an international judging panel. The overall winner will be invited to see a live rocket launch and to visit Eutelsat’s satellite installations in France, with the winner of the Second Prize also visiting Eutelsat in France. Merit award winners will win a trip to Johannesburg to see DStv’s technical facilities and television studios at the MultiChoice Africa offices. They will also tour the Mindset education broadcasting facilities.

A resource booklet for teachers and students has been developed for the competition and can be accessed on www.dstvstarawards.com or from MultiChoice or Mindset Offices (South Africa only). MultiChoice Africa will leverage its network of MultiChoice Resource Centres (MRCs) which enable almost 1,000 schools in Africa to access information and educational television resources. Two 26-minute programs, produced by Eutelsat, on the conquest of space and how satellite applications impact directly or indirectly on everyday lives, will also be broadcast by the Mindset Learn channel on DStv.