O¯ tara students over the moon about Nasa trip
Future scientists from O¯ tara are heading to Nasa for a once-ina-lifetime opportunity to study space exploration and STEM at the US Space and Rocket Centre in Alabama.
The 2023 Advance Space Camp — Expedition 49 opens in August and the cohort of 16 rangatahi are thrilled for the opportunity, organised by local charity Community Builders NZ Trust (CBNZ) through the O¯ tara Youth Hub.
“These guys are really excited. They turn up to every hui we need to have, and their whā nau are backing them. We’re super proud of them coming from [area code] 274 to Nasa. It’s a huge accomplishment,” says CBNZ chief executive Terangi Parima.
The cadets will engage in all areas of STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) in a sevenday camp sharing dorms, eating, and socialising with other young people from around the globe.
Daily sessions will be interactive, promoting STEM learning as well as team building, leadership, problemsolving and confidence. Trainees experience a variety of astronaut training exercises, engineering challenges and team-building activities, culminating in an extendedduration simulated space mission.
After the expedition, the group has three days to explore Alabama before returning home to Aotearoa with a kete full of knowledge to steer them into the next step of their STEM journey.
Tangaroa College student Danielle Tupuanai Viliamu, 16, has her trip sponsored by the Ministry for Pacific Peoples. Proud of her heritage, she says if she could travel to space and place one item on the moon, it would be her Samoan flag.
“I’m really excited to see the physics and science about rocket ship operations and the biology of space,” she said.
Benjamin Goldsmark, 15, is of Niuean, Samoan and Mā ori descent. He attends Green Bay High School in West Auckland, but spends his weekends in O¯ tara with his dad, stepmum and younger brother.
He has always been a major scifi fan: “It’s my dream to work with Nasa. I’d love to build rockets that could go out further into the galaxy to explore and learn more about space.”
Ben is one of three cadets sponsored with $1000 each from Te Rū nanga-Ā -Iwi O Ngā puhi.
Each cadet has been tasked with raising $5000 toward their expedition, half of that amount being the starting rate for entry to the space camp.
Parima is grateful for the support received so far from Spark Foundation, Ministry of Pacific Peoples, and Te Rū nanga-Ā -Iwi O Ngā puhi, but more financial aid is needed. A Givealittle page has been set up to help reach their total goal of $80,000.