The students are Albertina Risso, of the Dante Alighieri School, and Santiago Ciprian, of the Monseñor Carlos Macagno School, both from Santa Fe; and Evelyn Muratore, of the Padre Claret School, and Lautaro Vasquez, of the Cristo Rey School in Rosario.
The ceremony was held in the Belgrano Hall of the Ministry of Education in the city of Santa Fe. Minister Balagué presented a diploma and medal of recognition to the four students. "It is a huge pride to have been selected from 900 applicants to travel to NASA and make a very motivating experience, celebrating the 50th anniversary of man's first step on the moon," she said.
The minister stated, "We will follow the story of the students closely, we will wait for their return to know how they live the experience and if any of them is attracted to follow studies linked to this topic that always awakens vocations".
SCHOLARSHIP
The U.S. Embassy in Argentina granted 50 students from Argentine high schools - including the four from Santa Fe - to travel to the Space and Rocket Center located in Huntsville, Alabama. The students will attend the Advanced Space Academy program. Young people from 17 provinces will participate in Space Camp, which will take place from 22 to 27 September.
Over three weeks, the Embassy received nearly 900 nominations, of which it selected 50 to participate in the program. In the process, the academic performance, level of English and interest in the science of each applicant were rigorously evaluated.
Participants will experience astronaut training through a variety of exercises, engineering challenges, and team-building activities that will culminate in a simulation of a long-running space mission. Attendees will use simulators with gravity chairs and neutral flotation, design and launch a rocket, build a heat shield, among many other learning tasks.
EXPERIENCE
Albertina said that on the trip to the Space Center in Huntsville, she hopes to know the place, improve her English and learn about the science that is what she likes. “I'm going to be 100 percent envolved, enjoying the whole experience."
On his part, Santiago said, "I will make the most of the trip, in its activities as well as to meet new people and reinforce what I have learned".
Evelyn, from Rosario said, “I want to know a lot about NASA and on the return be able to pass on what I will learn to my peers."
Finally, Lautaro aims to learn science, technology "and maybe even find some alien out there," the student joked.
ATTENDEES
The students were accompanied by Alicana Santa Fe's executive director, Laura Alemandi; the head of Private Education Supervisors of the Ministry of Education, Fernando Acosta; relatives, headteachers and teachers of their educational institutions.
