“SPACE IN MY CITY” - 17TH EDITION TO KICK OFF IN CHELLES

Monday 12 July, the 17th edition of the ‘Space in my City’ operation will kick off in Chelles, near Paris. This outreach and education project led by CNES in partnership with non-profit association Planète Sciences aims to engage 8-to-14-year-olds in priority neighbourhoods and get them interested in space. No fewer than 14 cities will be hosting this year’s event, in Clichy-sous-Bois, Chelles, Creil, Laon, Limoges, Martigues, Mont-de-Marsan, Orléans, Pau, Pamiers, Paris, Sevran, Toulouse and Vernon.

CNES and Planète Sciences are supporting urban policy aims by engaging youngsters to arouse their curiosity for space and science. For a whole week during school holidays, Space in my City puts on space-themed events for 8-to-14-year-olds living in deprived areas.

Space in my City aims to introduce youngsters to space culture and get them thinking about possible careers in science through fun activities, while promoting cities and priority neighbourhoods by encouraging social mixing, and to help develop long-term local science and technology initiatives, with a special emphasis on space. The operation is part of the urban contract established in 2014 by the Ministry for Cities, Youth and Sport.

Activities cover the full spectrum of space themes, giving youngsters the chance to build rocket modules, robots and satellites, and to see what space and the solar system are all about through a range of events, focusing for example on astronaut pool training and recruitment. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, all of these events have been adapted in strict accordance with social distancing protocols.

Each city will choose two youngsters for their motivation and creativity to represent their neighbourhood and their city’s project. They will be invited to an event in Paris when the health situation allows.

Space in my City is one of just many educational projects that CNES is pursuing. The Planète Sciences non-profit association is geared towards bringing science and technology culture to youngsters.

CONTACTS
Pascale Bresson     Press Officer     Tel: +33 (0)1 44 76 75 39    pascale.bresson@cnes.fr
Raphaël Sart    Head of Media    Tel: +33 (0)1 44 76 74 51    raphael.sart@cnes.fr