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Township two off to space school in the USA -
first participants ever from Africa
Two students from Vukuzakhe Township outside Volksrust, Mpumalanga, arel
the first students from Africa to attend the prestigious
International Space School in the USA. Vusumuzi Nathi Vilakazi and
Nondumiso Stanley Mkholo, both from the Elangwane Secondary School, each won a
highly competitive grant from the International Space School
Foundation (ISSF). They left for the Johnson Space Centre in
Houston,Texas at the end of July.
They will join students from 18 other countries around the globe for a
three-week programme packed with exciting field trips, lectures and
design projects - all related to space science. Areas of exploration
will include planning of interplanetary missions, rocketry, spacecraft
design, selection of astronauts, aerospace medicine and the aerodynamics
of flight. They will have daily personal interaction with NASA
astronauts.
Started in 1994 the International Space School Foundation is an
educational organisation that provides space-related academic
instruction and introduction to the space industry to international
senior secondary education students. The Foundation's orientation
emphasizes to these students the importance of the world-wide
collaboration necessary in opening the limitless frontiers of space. The
students may utilise the experiences provided by the International Space
School in choosing and attaining their academic and professional goals,
including those in non-space-related fields.
Funding comes from individual and corporate sponsors in the USA.
"It is an amazing opportunity for two very bright and deserving students
and I'm extremely excited about what this will mean not only for their
futures and their community, but also for science education in South
Africa" says Riana Coetsee, Executive Director of the SA-USA Fulbright
Commission who served as Chairperson of the South African Selection
Panel. "I am convinced that their participation in International
Space
School will secure their future as scientists and science ambassadors.
They are role models and should be able to inspire many of their peers
to pursue mathematics and science as the way to unlock future
opportunities. I know that they will do South Africa proud and will add
a unique dimension to the cultural diversity of the group in the USA."
The South African selection panel of engineers, scientists and educators
selected the students based on projects they submitted, and a rigorous
interviewing process. Nathi proved his innovativeness through building
a rocket out of waste materials, and astonished both the panel members
and members of the community when he successfully launched the
mini-rocket, and had it come back down to the ground by parachute. He
demonstrated an in-depth understanding of the technical and scientific
issues in accompanying documents and drawings. Stanley impressed the
panel with the very detailed space shuttle and satellite models he
assembled from wire, once again accompanied by detailed descriptions of
the aerodynamics and related technical aspects of the models. Both
students have impressive academic records, excelling at mathematics and
physical sciences and are both the top performers in their respective
classes. They have also been selected for their commitment, enthusiasm
and leadership abilities.
The achievements of these students are even more remarkable when taking
into account the realities of the township where they live. Vukuzakhe
is home to a very poor community where 60% of the adult population is
illiterate, with unemployment at about 70 - 75%. The success of these
students, and many others in Elangwane Secondary School, can be
attributed to the encouragement of parents and the motivation and
influence of the school principal, Mr David Mabizela, a mathematics
teacher who also grew up in this region.
For More Information:
Riana Coetsee
Executive Director
SA-USA Fulbright Commission
Tel: (012) 3125104
Fax:(012) 3211586
Cell: 0832847319
web: www.fulbright.org.za
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