Thirteen of our grade seven and eight students participated in the NASA Space Settlement Contest 2023. During the competition, students worked on a project which focused on a free space settlement concept.
Students from around 19 countries participated in the contest, and one of our teams from grade eight won the first prize. Participants also got the opportunity to attend the annual International Space Development Conference (ISDC), where they learned about commercial enterprise and cutting-edge research related to the habitation and development of space. Students discussed their concepts with industry experts on the new space economy that would develop exponentially over the next few decades.
Students meeting peers from other nations and sharing ideas together can be beneficial in today's world as it boosts diversity and broadens their minds. Competitions like the NASA Space Settlement Contest make students become global citizens who are aware of and understand the world and its place in it.
Every geneation holds the key to the future, and as educators, it is our job to ensure that we pass our knowledge to them while encouraging them to excel in their skills.
We try to do all these every day through the curriculum; however, competition can boost learners to succeed, solidify and enhance knowledge, and pose questions beyond the academic syllabus.
Competitions play critical roles in motivating students to perform and improve their creative skills. It is a fantastic way to enlighten students about numerous topics and an excellent tool to assist people in getting ready for the future.
Improving or building soft skills, enhancing knowledge, building teamwork, and maintaining a healthy peer-to-peer competition are some of the few benefits of most contests that occur in schools.
Competition is an unconventional way for students to represent their creativity and skills. Numerous times, students have difficulty expressing their talents in academic settings.
Classwork, exams, and assignments do not always get the chance to capture students' unique skills accurately.
However, competitions are the perfect platform for these students to express their talents. This also allows teachers and parents to learn more about the student's passion and can guide them better in the future.
Passion and interest can get anyone a long way, and it is critical for us to identify them in our students to help them excel. Passion enhances learning capability among anyone and helps them become a lifelong learner.
For example, a student passionate about space would be more interested in learning about STEM. STEM (Science, Technology, Maths, and Engineering) is getting priority in current times, and it is said that most growing occupations globally will require STEM skills.
According to CSIRO, STEM is more than an acronym; it is the passport for the future. Competitions allow students to develop in-demand STEM skills, which will benefit them in the upcoming days.
Soft skills -- communication, planning, attention to detail, critical thinking, problem-solving, resilience, and adaptability -- have become central to success in the classroom, workplace, and the world.
Unfortunately, there is a limit to the number of soft skills people can gain in most class settings.
They are usually learned over time and gained through real-world experience. But competitions can naturally create the opportunity for students to enhance their soft skills conveniently.
Usually, in contests, students will organize and manage time while helping and preparing for different activities. They will use critical thinking skills to handle tricky questions and quick thinking to approach unexpected circumstances.
Students would clearly communicate their concepts and rationale while remaining resilient to stress, anxiety, or time pressure. All these are part of soft skills; thus, competitions are the perfect opportunity for any student to upgrade their soft skills.
Additionally, contests provide students with an edge in scholarship applications. Applicants must prove they have the right skill sets, knowledge, and personality for scholarships.
By participating in numerous competitions, students can conveniently represent that they are not only high achievers but are also driven and constantly looking for growth opportunities. Moreover, contests related to their applications will be working as a bonus. For example, NASA Space Settlement Contest will benefit someone applying for Engineering or Astronomy.
Furthermore, participating in challenges can be fun and motivating, especially when it's in a safe setting. It can do wonders for children's and youth's confidence and self-reliance. Competition develops a hunger to conquer more significant challenges while building a positive feedback look that enables them to reach their full potential.
Contests also allow academic prowess to get the spotlight. Dancers, singers, musicians, and athletes perform in front of others and automatically gain the confidence and spotlight. But what about students who love math, writing, science, and painting?
Competitions allow these people to experience the limelight while developing the confidence to present in public. Finally, the most vital benefit of contests is that it's fun. Besides gaining considerable skills, competitions are designed to entertain with out-of-the-box thinking and let children enjoy it.
We know it is crucial for students from all levels to participate in competitions, but the real question is how? Schools must keep tabs on the various competitions occurring locally and internationally and offer them to students from all educational levels.
Schools should do their best to motivate and encourage learners to actively participate in contests to upgrade their skills and learn more about their strengths. For example, our school, DPS STS Dhaka, always tries to motivate and encourage our students to participate in local and global contests, such as NASA Space Settlement Contest, World Scholars Cup, Model United Nations, and many more.
Most of us may think competition will bring stress and anxiety about being compared to others. But students who are willing to compete, even if they are reluctant at first, will be rewarded with a renewed thirst for gaining knowledge and drive towards excellence.
It doesn't matter if any students fail because competitions aren't about it. It's mostly about helping learners to develop knowledge while slowly transforming them into intelligent and capable adults. As educators, lifelong learning is one of the most valuable gifts we can give to our students and the next generations.
Dr Shivananda CS is the Principal at DPS (Delhi Public School) STS School Dhaka.
