UAE kids can now book into Nasa space camps

DUBAI // Schoolkids in the UAE are being encouraged to reach for the stars through a new space camp programme.

Space Ed-Ventures, launched today by Emirati entrepreneur Hussain Al Ansari, will organise trips to Nasa's space centre for UAE high school pupils. While there, they will take part in aerospace engineering and youth space training programmes.

"This is a dynamic endeavour to provide today's youth with extra-curricular hands-on educational projects and activities," said Mr Al Ansari.

On Saturday, the first batch of 35 Emirati pupils will leave for a week-long stint at Houston Space School in the Nasa Johnson Space Centre.

"Taking subjects they learn in school and applying this knowledge in the real world will have a massive positive impact on their perceptions and future career opportunities," said Mr Al Ansari.

The company is a spin-off of the Arab Youth Venture Foundation (AYVF), which sent the first three Emirati university students to train at Nasa in 2010.

Space Ed-Ventures hopes to provide travel and learning opportunities for groups of 12- to 18-year-old schoolchildren, two to three times a year.

Lisa LaBonte, chief executive of AYVF said: "The launch of Space Ed-Ventures represents an exciting new chapter for us and we believe will add extra-curricular educational value for the MENA region."

The opportunity to train at Nasa centres and space schools in the US is open to all nationalities.

For more information, visit www.spaceedventures.com