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UGDSB students soar to new heights with SSEP Participation 

October 4, 2023

GUELPH, ON – In an exciting development, the Upper Grand District School Board is making waves in the world of education by participating in the renowned Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP).

This year, approximately 300 students from Rickson Ridge Public School, Ecole Guelph Lake, Maryborough Public School, and Alma Public School have eagerly embraced this incredible opportunity to conduct experiments destined for outer space.

The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, or SSEP, is an international initiative aimed at engaging young minds in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Launched in 2010, SSEP offers students in Canada and the United States the chance to design and propose experiments to be conducted aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This program not only fosters a passion for STEM subjects but also provides a real-world application for students’ classroom knowledge.

The UGDSB’s involvement in SSEP is a commitment to nurturing the curiosity and innovative spirit of its students. Over the years, SSEP has gained recognition as a program that not only ignites interest in space exploration but also inspires students to pursue careers in STEM-related fields.

The UGDSB students participating in SSEP have been working at great lengths to create experiment proposals that will engage astronauts aboard the ISS. These experiments cover a wide range of scientific disciplines, from biology and physics to chemistry and environmental science und microgravity conditions.

The chosen experiments will be subjected to a rigorous review process, with the most compelling proposal earning the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be conducted on the ISS. Final selections will be made later in the year, and the successful experiments are scheduled to be launched into space as part of SSEP Mission 18 in summer 2024.

The UGDSB’s participation in SSEP showcases the board’s dedication to providing students with extraordinary learning experiences. This initiative not only enables students to expand their scientific knowledge but also inspires them to dream beyond the sky’s limits.

More about the SSEP:

The Student Space Flight Experiments Program or just “SSEP” is a program of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) in the U.S. and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education Internationally. It is enabled through a strategic partnership with Nanoracks, LLC, which is working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a National Laboratory.

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