Space education activities at the Romanian Science Festival

Abstract

Eastern European countries, in particular Romania, offer much fewer opportunities for science and space outreach and informal science education compared to the West. Romanian Science Festival was founded in 2018 with the aim of answering questions raised by the inquisitive minds of children all over Romania. In 2019, we reached over 20,000 people with our live events: open-air science festivals, space talks and astronomical observations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we organised 58 live webinars of over 75 hours in total, one of the largest scientific resources in the Romanian language. Moreover, we visited 150 schools across the country, including rural areas, providing an opportunity for students to meet scientists online. Space-related topics are a key focus of the science festival as they are not included in the Romanian school curriculum. That is why the resources in the form of the expertise and career orientation offered by our mentors are so valuable to the students. The topics we address include Astronomy (asteroids, black holes, extrasolar planets, etc.), Space Exploration, Satellite Design and Earth Observations. In 2021 and 2022 we organised the ‘Space month’ during which thousands of students had the opportunity to discover careers in space, participate in competitions, meet the only Romanian astronaut, Dumitru Prunariu, in celebrations of 40 years’ of his space flight and a former NASA director of Astrophysics. Through mentorship, students discover opportunities to study and do research in astronomy. All these activities expose the public to the latest discoveries in the field, thus highlighting the importance of investing in fundamental research. This is just the beginning. The Romanian Science Festival story will continue because our team is determined to create a systemic impact in education. We will continue to add new chapters, stimulating the curiosity and imagination of people fascinated by science and space.