By Manila Marcuccio and Gaia Nardini

The second edition of Space Dream, a cultural event organized by CTNA, with the scientific support of ASI, CNR, INAF, INGV and the collaboration of Sapienza University, has ended.

The objective of promoting the in-depth study of technical-scientific subjects with particular regard to aerospace issues was once again achieved and the talent awards ceremony of the 2022 edition was the perfect opportunity to meet up with the kids and say it all together: Mission accomplished!

It was at Sapienza University with the institutional greeting of Daniela De Leo – Pro-Rector of Public Engagement that the young winners of this initiative were awarded, which was conceived on an annual basis and is eagerly awaited by teachers and students at a national level because it is seen and felt as an important opportunity to study and approach innovative themes with wide-ranging projects to discover talents, stimulate curiosity and broaden interests.

This year Space Dream has extended its range of action to also involve secondary schools, always maintaining in all the categories involved the focus dedicated to the girls who have been called upon to lead and represent the work teams since the first edition. The aim is twofold: to overcome gender stereotypes and encourage today’s girls to choose STEM subjects to become brilliant researchers, lively scientists and more generally to cultivate their dreams.

Space Dream 2022 had the same objectives as the previous edition but achieved them by changing the contents and this will be the case every year because the aim is to innovate by offering students to compete with ever-changing activities, designed to test scientific, artistic and creative.

This year too, enthusiasm, explosive imagination and the pleasure of working together won. In addition to this, what struck the Commission – which viewed the over 220 group papers received – were the depth and maturity of the students’ messages, often oriented towards the themes of sustainability, the care of natural resources, whether in Planet Earth, on Mars (hypothetical destination of the 2022 space dream) and throughout the Universe that surrounds them. The best works were also characterized by attention to artistic details and literary suggestions, as well as to science.

Space Dream demonstrates, therefore, that the transition from the “STEM – acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics” paradigm to the “STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics” paradigm is the recognition of a greater and “more rounded” sensitivity of the new generations, even before being a policy line promoted at national and European level.

For each category, the prizes were awarded as follows:

Category “A for Asteroid” – reserved for I and II elementary classes

• FIRST PRIZE: IC BOSCO CHIESANUOVA (VR) WHICH CONNECTED THE STARS IN THE SKY WITH THE STARFISH IN A SEMANTIC THREAD AIMED AT RESPECTING NATURAL RESOURCES.
• SECOND PRIZE: IC FOLGORE SAN GIMIGNANO CLASS IB WHICH WANTED TO PAY HOMAGE TO “THE ITALIAN SPACE TEAM” OF ITALIAN MEN AND WOMEN WHO REPRESENT ITALIAN PRIDE AT AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL IN THIS SECTOR.

“Full Rocket Totem” category – reserved for students of third, fourth and fifth grades

• FIRST PRIZE: IC SUOR CELESTINA DONATI, ROME CLASS 4C WITH THE “ROSETTA NEL SPAZIO” TOTEM: A SATELLITE MADE WITH RECYCLED MATERIALS IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPTIMIZATION OF RESOURCES AND WITH A STRONG ATTENTION TO DETAIL. THE STRUCTURE IS DESIGNED IN SUCH A WAY THAT WHEN OPENED, IT SHOWS THE MESSAGES THAT STUDENTS IDEALLY SEND INTO THE SPACE.
• SECOND PRIZE: CIRCOLO DIDATTICO DE CURTIS, CASALNUOVO DI NAPOLI CLASS III A, A ROCKET WITH AN UNLIKELY SQUARE BASE, BUT WITH THE PRECIOUS PRESENCE OF ELEMENTS OF THE MARINE AND TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM, OF THE PLANT AND ANIMAL WORLD WHICH, TOGETHER WITH MAN, MUST BE CARRIED INTO SPACE TO PRESERVE THE LIVING WORLD.

“Landing on Mars” category – reserved for middle school students

• FIRST PRIZE: IC VIDOLETTI OF VARESE CLASS III C, GROUP 4, ELABORATED ENTITLED “AND WE WILL GO OUT TO SEE THE STARS AGAIN” IN WHICH A MOTHER LIFTS HER CHILD ONTO AN OPEN WINDOW ON MARS AND ITS SOLAR PANELS.
• SECOND PRIZE: IC XXV LUGLIO DI BETTOLO (TA) CLASS 1B, GROUP 2 AN ARTISTIC PAINTING ENTITLED “THE LANDING ON MARS (MARS I’M COMING)”.

Present in the room were the students of the IV C of the Roman institute Sister Celestina Donati and their Totem “Rosetta in Space ” , inspired by the satellite of the same name which won the prize for the III, IV and V elementary category for the activity ” Totem all rocket”

 During the awards ceremony, the President of the CTNA, Cristina Leone, illustrated the principles that guided the Commission in awarding or, as in the case of secondary schools, in not awarding any prize. Addressing this category, the President in fact said ” We like the idea of ​​cultivating talents and excellence therefore from a proactive perspective we invite secondary school students to a greater scientific study which we will certainly support and to demonstrate greater curiosity to face and overcome new challenges next year ”.

The themes of continuous commitment, curiosity, study and conscious application were explored in depth during the round table ” The passion for research and the pleasure of discovery “ which saw the participation of young researchers such as Claudia Pacelli – ASI , Claudio De Luca – CNR, Martina Cardillo INAF, Gaetana Ganci – INGV, Prof. Luca Iocchi – Sapienza University and the speech by Davide Giardino – Chief Business Development Officer Gnous, a Bari-based service company active in the field of space -economy. In fact, from the testimonies of these researchers it emerged that sometimes the passion for science and research develops at an early age, other times, however, it is born later following choices or encounters that seem casual.

In any case, to achieve important goals it is absolutely necessary to study and be prepared because as Maurizio Cheli , test pilot, astronaut and first Italian to receive the nomination of “mission specialist” for a NASA mission,  who spoke during the award ceremony, said, luck alone is not enough and the more demanding the challenges are, the more you have to work hard to overcome them without getting discouraged because “if others can do it, you must do it too!” Cheli said.

The speech by Prof. Amalia Ercoli Finzi,  academic, scientist and Honorary Professor of the Polytechnic of Milan, was enlightening, as she recounted her “Space Dream” which runs in parallel and intersects in many points with the “history” of aerospace in the last 60 years. Professor Finzi was, in fact, a direct witness of the first launches, of the first explorations, contributing with her research to finding the technical solutions that made them possible. It is therefore no coincidence that “Amalia” is the name of one of the two European rovers of the ExoMars 2022 mission. Professor Finzi’s smiles and words thrilled adults and children, conveying in no uncertain terms the purest concept of passion for space and more generally the importance of curiosity with a clear invitation to the boys and especially the girls listening to “make space” with courage and determination.

The day ended with the wish extended to everyone to live their Space Dream to the fullest while waiting to meet again in the next edition for which it is possible to arrive prepared by consulting the educational resources in the “Free Space” area on the Treccani platform dedicated school www.ctna-spacedream.it . Here you can find materials to read, informative videos, experiments, skill games and coloring pages to always stay connected!