This five-day event will be like none other in Bruce, Grey, and Huron counties. Teams of five high school students from this region will work with a roster of scientists from the Canadian Space Agency, Bruce Power, and a former NASA researcher on how humans can create a livable habitat on Mars.
The biggest challenges facing space exploration will be placed before our intrepid participants and they—guided by a NAYGN group mentor—will seek to answer those questions. They will then present their findings to the judges for a chance to win the grand prize: $2,500 to the winning team towards post-secondary education.
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WHAT WILL YOUR DAYS LOOK LIKE?
Monday to Thursday at 11:00 am: Morning Zoom session
We’ll discuss that day’s problem—students will have a chance to ask questions and present their findings from yesterday’s challenge. Over $100 in prizes to be won each day.
Monday to Thursday afternoons
Communicate with your team on your own schedule. But be warned, competition will be fierce, so be ready to step up and support your team.
Friday at 11:00 am: Final team presentations
Each team will have 5 minutes to make their case to be in the top three.
Friday at 2:00 pm: The final showdown
The top three teams go head-to-head, with 10 minutes each to present their case to a panel of judges.
WHO SHOULD JOIN?
We are looking for teams of five (5) high school-aged students from Bruce, Grey and Huron counties. You want your teams to be well rounded, so they can excel in all areas of the competition.
The best teams will have someone in each of the following roles:
HACKER
This is your team’s lead engineer. They are going to take the lead on the science behind your project. They are in charge of making sure your group's ideas are possible, practical, and fulfill the team’s purpose.
HUMANITARIAN
Astronauts are not robots. So we can’t treat them as such. The humanitarian will focus on the human side of space exploration. Settling on Mars is entering a disorienting environment, so how are you going to make the astronauts feel at home?
HUSTLER
It’s great to have an idea, but you need someone to make it shine. Your hustler will be in charge of taking your team’s ideas and presenting them to the judges in a way that makes them want to award your project.
HOUND
There will be a lot of unknowns in the project and it is up to the Hound to get researching. This person will become a Mars subject matter expert by reading as much Mars content as possible.
HELPER
Possibly the most important role on the team. While not in charge of any one thing, the Helper is in charge of everything. This project manager will assist everyone as they do their jobs and make sure everyone knows what everyone else is doing and how it all fits together.
These roles aren’t hard and fast. Everyone should be working on everything else, but this competition isn’t just for hardcore science students. You want some fast talkers, some artistic dreamers, and some organizational wizards.
GET IN TOUCH.
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