My name is Sara Jafghali and I am an undergraduate student at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane (AUI), Morocco. This summer I had the opportunity to work as an intern at the international office of Universe Awareness (UNAWE) in Leiden, the Netherlands.
I was introduced to the organisation by a professor of mine who is also very inspired by space science. My professor’s encouragement and motivation, along with my passion for astronomy, encouraged me to apply to become a student ambassador of the UNAWE project. The main task I have been performing so far, as a UNAWE ambassador, is the translation of Space Scoop from English to Arabic. This has actually taught me a lot about astronomy!
During my internship, I was required to translate a range of educational resources and to promote them in Arabic-speaking countries. For example, I translated a few pages of The Invisible Universe and the Universe in a Box activity book, so they can be distributed to schools and children in Arabic-speaking countries.
Another project I have worked on during my internship at UNAWE was the promotion and distribution of Space Scoop in Arabic-speaking countries. To do so, I contacted a large number of websites, who's main target audience is children, and introduced them to this free educational resource and encourage them to use it. Moreover, and also in the context of promoting the educational resources offered by UNAWE, when contacting these media platforms, I tried to put emphasis on the importance of sharing new astronomical discoveries with children and the role it plays in inspiring them and helping them develop an interest in astronomy and science in general. So far, three Arabic websites have replied positively and agreed to share some of the educational resources UNAWE provides, mainly Space Scoop, in Arabic.
In addition to these tasks, I also had the chance to visit a NASA exhibition in Utrecht together with my internship supervisor Pedro Russo, manager of UNAWE international programme, and the rest of UNAWE team. The trip was a great opportunity to learn about the greatest adventures of mankind: our journey to the Moon and to space in general.
Overall, the internship was a great experience and I am very grateful for the opportunity to work with the UNAWE team and under the supervision of Pedro Russo. I hope to carry on my work as a Student Ambassador and keep spreading the work of UNAWE to children in Arabic-speaking countries!
Share:
