Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) has revealed that the Hyperspace Challenge, an accelerator backed by the U.S. Space Force, is launching a statewide S.T.E.A.M. competition for high school students in New Mexico. The objective of this contest is to highlight the role of art in effectively communicating complex scientific concepts.
The initiative, dubbed "Project S.O.S. - Safeguard Our Satellites!", involves collaboration with two public schools in New Mexico - the New Mexico School for the Arts and the Digital Arts and Technology Academy. According to a press release by CNM, these institutions have played an instrumental role in designing the competition's format and art prompts. Moreover, they are fostering discussions between students and industry experts, underlining the significance of integrating creative and artistic concepts into space-related projects.
Kelly Stafford, Hyperspace Challenge Senior Program Manager, emphasized on the importance of diverse thinking in understanding industry challenges. She said, "Hyperspace Challenge sits at the intersection of commercial industry and government customers. As we move towards a sustainable future in space for all, understanding the real problems facing the industry requires diverse and creative thinking." Stafford further expressed her anticipation about student contributions to the competition: "We are eager to see what students develop over the course of the competition because we believe art is one of the most exciting ways to engage new communities and to make concepts around these problems more accessible to the public."
Nicholas Chiarella, digital and electronic arts instructor at New Mexico School for the Arts, also shared his enthusiasm about Project S.O.S., saying "We are thrilled to be involved with Project S.O.S. and to have the opportunity to collaborate further with the Digital Arts and Technology Academy as it gives our students - and students across the state - an opportunity to explore real-world applications of artistic practices and to grapple with pressing issues that impact all of humanity."
The Hyperspace Challenge operates as a business accelerator with the support of the U.S. Space Force and Air Force Research Lab. In partnership with CNM Ingenuity, it aids the Space Vehicles directorate and U.S. government personnel worldwide, as stated on the About webpage provided by Hyperspace Challenge.
