Airbus Foundation launches the first Discovery Science Week in Spain

Madrid, May 30 - The Airbus Foundation has launched the first Discovery Science Week in Spain, the digital version of the former Airbus Foundation Flying Challenge program. Its objective is to encourage interest in science among students between the ages of 12 and 16.

Discovery Science Week, which will last until the last week of June, will make available educational materials and activities in digital format related to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), to more than 60 educational centres. The material will allow young students to experience science through different experiments and games. In addition, it will promote creativity and awareness of social and environmental problems, taking as a reference the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

A total of 25 Airbus Spain employees, together with students from different institutes, feature in the videos and guide the activities of this Discovery Science Week, which revolve around six major blocks:

• Women in science: activities that give visibility to historical references in the aerospace sector to inspire young women and encourage their interest in science careers.
• Environmental impact: content to raise awareness on environmental care and the impact of human beings.

• Mathematical puzzles: puzzles that connect young people with this subject to demonstrate its applicability and bring its use in the field of engineering, in the technology sector, or in nature itself, so that mathematical thinking can become something stimulating and motivating.
• Flight mechanics: multiple exercises and experiments that bring the operation and design of different spacecraft closer to young people.
• Hydrogen: discover the use of hydrogen, its properties, combustion, electronic energy levels, molecular forms and its applicable use in aerospace.
• Virtual tour of vocations: accompanying young people in the discovery of their abilities to promote self-esteem and empowerment.

Discovery Science Week is a program to support education. It is sponsored by Airbus Foundation in collaboration with the Youth area of the Spanish Red Cross and the creative training company Cadigenia. It also has the support of the University of Cadiz, the University Institute for Sustainable Social Development, the Bertelsmann Foundation, CaixaForum, the Persán Foundation and the participation of the schools IES Juan de Padilla, IES La Senda and IES Al-Basit.

Created in 2011, the Airbus Foundation program has managed to help more than 19,000 students worldwide, involving nearly 2,500 Airbus employees who have participated as volunteers. In Spain, it has helped 3,100 students in their formative development thanks to more than 500 Airbus volunteers who have collaborated with the program as mentors, providing a total of 12,000 hours of tutoring.