CHALLENGE
5 boroughs, 5 public SCHOOLS
&5 winners
Participating schools:
Brooklyn - Midwood High School
Manhattan - New Explorations into Science Technology and Math (NEST)
Queens - Bayside High School
Staten Island - Tottenville High School
The first Space Prize Challenge was designed to encourage STEAM education and careers in the space industry, with a focus on high school women in New York City public schools.
One winner was chosen from a partner school in each of the five boroughs. The winners were promised a ZERO-G flight and mentorship from an influential woman in the space industry.
In addition, twenty-five finalists participated in a simulated mission to Mars at the Challenger Center in Manhattan and were invited to a Yuri’s Night celebration at Waterline Square. Five additional winners were also flown to Huntsville, AL for Space Camp LIFT, a new leadership program at the US Space & Rocket Center.
Rounds
Round 1: ESSAY (1000 words)
The Overview Effect has been described by many astronauts as a cognitive shift in awareness when viewing the earth from outer space, suspended in the darkness of the cosmos. From this vantage point, one experiences the earth not as we typically see it on Google Earth: with borders, dogmas, conflicts and strife, but as one planet in which everything is interconnected. Experiencing the overview effect can create a shift in the way that we think of ourselves, of others and of this place that we call home.
Tell us about a time in your life when your perspective was meaningfully impacted and how has it changed the way that you experience the world?
ROUND 2: VIDEO PRESENTATION
Who are you? Where are you from? How old are you?
What does exploration mean to you? Tell us an instance when you felt the magic of discovery and how it has impacted your life.
