American engineer and former National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut, Dr Don Thomas, is in SA to encourage local scholars to take up careers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
Fifty years ago, on 20 July 1969, NASA’s famed Apollo 11 programme enabled the first humans to walk on the moon. Dr Thomas is one of the 500 people in the world who have flown to space in the last 55 years.
In 1990, he was selected as a mission specialist astronaut in NASA’s 13th group of astronauts, and he orbited the earth nearly 700 times during his 20 years with the US-based space agency.
Dr Thomas, who landed in the country last week, aims to inspire young South Africans to become the next generation of astronauts, as part of STEM-based non-profit organisation Living Maths’ Space Tour 2019, which has seen him give a series of public talks, and public school and tertiary school addresses in Cape Town. This week, he will embark on a Johannesburg and Durban tour.
Living Maths helps encourage learners to become passionate about STEM subjects. The initiative collaborates with schools to host mathematics and science programmes, skilling almost 4 500 learners per week in various parts of the country.
“It’s very special to be part of the Living Maths Space Tour 2019, during the 50th anniversary year of the Apollo 11 moon landing. We want to inspire South African students and school pupils to embark in STEM-focused career fields, because the first generation of astronauts that will be setting foot in Mars – the ‘Mars Generation’ – are not my generation of astronauts,” explains Dr Thomas.
“In 20 to 25 years from now, today’s young learners will be the first humans in Mars, and we are currently building new rockets and designing space suits and habitats for those space missions. So we need more scientists and engineers who will help in accomplishing these space missions and beyond.”
Becoming an astronaut is one of those aspirational careers that frequently feature on the list of children’s top dream jobs. Meeting Dr Thomas on his Space Tour brings the adventures of an astronaut out of the realms of books, TV shows and movies into their real-world experience, notes Living Maths.
Living Maths Space Tour 2019 hopes to give learners a different perspective of the possibilities of the not so distant future, at a time when human travel to Mars tops the space agenda.
Living Maths says it has successfully run the world’s first Maths Olympiad to cater for grade R to grade nine. The organisation also runs the Loving Maths Programme for grades R to grade three at several Cape Town-based schools, with the programme rapidly expanding to more schools each year.
Its goal is to begin developing educational materials for teachers and students, and within the next year, to offer online classes.
“Does SA have the next generation of budding idea-neers, daydreamers, scientists, mathematicians and engineers?” asks Steve Sherman, chief imagination officer at Living Maths.
“I think so! Parents, schools and teachers have such an important role to play in gently turning children from their immersion in meaningless screen activities towards bold, curious adventures in our real world, our universe. Meeting a bona fide spaceman can be one of those pivotal turning points in a child’s life, where achievement in STEM subjects and activities brings to their lives a visceral sense of purpose and incredible enjoyment of being alive in their time.”
Living Maths 2019 Space Tour dates and venues:
Johannesburg:
16 September, University of Pretoria, Sanlam Auditorium (18:30- 21:30)
17 September, Roedean Senior School (18:30 – 21:30)
Durban:
20 September, St Mary's Diocesan School for Girls in Kloof (18:30 - 21:30)
Ticket prices range between R50 and R100. To attend one of the talks, visit the Living Maths Web site .
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