Form V Pupil to Attend Space School

Robbie Kirk (Form V) has been chosen to attend a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the 2007 Careers Scotland Space School. The Space School will take place at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas next year.

Space School , supported by the Scottish executive and NASA, is designed to increase participation and motivation of school students in science and technology and to help young people to understand how the subjects apply to real career choices.

Around 50 pupils from schools across Scotland have been selected from around 3,000 to attend one of two Space Schools in January and September in 2007. The students have all successfully completed a programme of distance learning developed by Careers Scotland in conjunction with NASA scientists. The programme is designed to supplement studies in Higher Grade physics, chemistry, biology and maths and Space School aims to further develop the young people’s skills and knowledge in science, technology and enterprise.

The students will spend ten days involved in a full timetable of space-related learning activities including lectures and group work with NASA space cadets, astronauts and scientists. They will have the opportunity to visit the space shuttle, NASA laboratories and get a behind-the-scenes view of the world of space exploration.

The pictures show Robbie with a very American-looking astronaut called Duane who was on the Shuttle mission before the one that blew up on re-entry and a Russian astronaut called Alex who was on the Mir space station.