BRINGING SPACE EDUCATION TO THE RURAL COMMUNITIES IN NIGERIA THROUGH SPACE CLUBS

摘要

This paper highlights an outreach initiative to bring space awareness to primary schools in rural communities inNigeria. The Space Club is an ongoing activity of the African Regional Centre for Space Science andTechnology Education (ARCSSTE). ARCSSTE (affliated to the United Nations) was established in 1998 with amandate to train postgraduate candidates from English-speaking African countries in the space sciences. Thespace club was conceived as one of the catch-them-young initiatives geared towards sensitizing and educatingschool children at all levels. Over the course of 3 years, the centre has inaugurated about 300 space clubs inprimary and secondary schools in Nigeria.In 2007, a space club was launched at Shepherd Nursery and Primary School located in a rural communityknown as Owoeye in Ile-Ife. This community lacks basic infrastructure such as water, electricity and goodroads. Shepherd Nursery and Primary School is a modest elementary school with about 121 pupils and 14teachers situated in the heart of this rural community.In spite of the abject poverty of the environment, the school has a vibrant space club of about 50 members.Filled with enthusiasm and eagerness, these students have greatly impacted the community by creatingawareness about space science and technology. Members of the space club educate the community throughnovel means such as poems, playlets and rhymes. The space club also has a museum showcasing locallyfabricated models of rockets, satellites and astronauts. This study illustrates how the children utilize their limitedfacilities and gifts to enlighten a remote community who would otherwise not have had the opportunity to learnabout space science and technology.