Report Submitted By: Marian Selorm Sapah, University of Ghana
Raising the next generation of space enthusiast in Ghana through educational outreach – a MetSoc funded project
Since receipt of the MetSoc Endowment Fund Community Grant, Planetary and Space Science (PSS) Outreach events have been successfully organized in three schools in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. These include a Basic School, a Senior High School and a University.
- The first event took place at the Department of Earth Science, University of Ghana, on the 21st of May, 2024.
- A second event took place at the La Bawaleshi Presbyterian Basic School on the 2nd of October, 2024.
- The most recent event was held at the Accra Girls Senior High School on the 15th of October, 2024.
The target demographic for the Basic School was the final year Junior High School students. That of the Senior High School was mainly students taking the science program, while the university event was open to students of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences. All these events entailed a discussion about PSS and its various disciplines, its importance and applications as well as career opportunities in the field. This was followed by interactive hands-on activities using telescopes and microscopes.
These talks and activities were specifically tailored for the educational levels of each event, including the preparation of learning materials. Participant numbers for these events ranged from about 30 at the university event, 100 students at the Senior High School to 210 at the Basic School event. At the end of each event, PSS clubs were formed to help sustain the interest of the students in this field.
The Meteoritical Society funds were used for the purchase and shipping of a telescope, the purchase of a laptop, the shipping of a donated telescope and 2 microscopes as well as for the preparation of teaching and learning materials, transportation, and sustenance for participants and volunteers.