ESERO France takes off to support and inspire STEM education

Hosted at CNES and led by the CNES Education team based in Toulouse, ESERO France joins ESA’s ESERO network, currently active in 17 other ESA Member States.

In the past decade the project has been supporting school education through the inspirational power of space - an approach that has already proven very effective for the teaching and learning of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects at school.

All ESEROs are driven by common overarching objectives and are run under the coordination of ESA and with the contribution of multiple national organizations and institutions. Best practises and resources are exchanged within the network, but the national activities are tailored to the national education curricula, needs and context.

Jan Wörner, ESA Director General, and Jean-Yves Le Gall, President of CNES, signed the ESERO France contract during the ESA Council Meeting taking place in Germany this week.

This joint project builds on the strong commitment of the two space organisations to support scientific and technical education, thereby recognising its vital role in Europe’s growth, development and competitiveness for society as a whole. 

France, a leading European country in science and technology research and a pivotal player in Europe’s space programme, also needs to meet the continuous demand for qualified specialists and professionals. “Since its creation CNES has always pursued an active education policy in close collaboration with the French Ministry of Education and Youth.  By joining the ESERO project through CNES, we reaffirm the importance of educating students, starting from an early age, to nourish their interest in STEM, enhance their competences and skills, and stimulate them to pursue a career in this domain, including space,” said Jean-Yves Le Gall, president of CNES. 

ESERO primarily addresses teachers – the key access point to students – by means of teacher trainings and an innovative didactic approach based on real-life professional practices and role models. The project also offers direct opportunities for students via interdisciplinary school projects and initiatives. 

 “The ESERO project is a very good example of the multiple tangible benefits space can provide to society”, said Jan Wörner, ESA Director General. “We need to ensure that future citizens have the scientific knowledge and skills expected from them in the 21^stcentury, and that they are able to keep fostering innovation. The space context has proven to be an incredibly powerful means to achieve this,” he continued. “ESERO is a collaborative large-scale project that is able to respond to the specific needs of each country and that brings tangible results.”

ESERO in France

Under the leadership of CNES, and with the continuous support of ESA, ESERO France can count on the educational and pedagogical expertise of a key consortium of national partners, such as: the Cité de l’espace (Science and Space Museum), the national network Planète Sciences, as well as La Fondation La Main à la Pate, with its Maisons pour la Science.

As a first task, ESERO France will perform a thorough study this summer with the aim of identifying national needs: analysing the curriculum, identifying gaps and niche-areas where ESERO can have the greatest impact, assessing the role of ESERO and ESA’s space–related resources in meeting those needs, and providing recommendations for the ESERO France activity portfolio. 

The results of the study will also contribute to meeting one of the project’s key objectives: to reach the whole territory in an inclusive way, by ensuring that the widest possible range of ESERO opportunities are available for teachers and students across the whole country.

The trainings offered by ESERO France will be entirely free of charge and accredited by the French Ministry of National Education and Youth. ESERO will also provide for free innovative classroom materials that cater to the French STEM curriculum, interdisciplinary school projects, and access to STEM career information and role models from the space sector. In addition, it will contribute to increasing awareness about the significance of space as an important backbone of contemporary society and economy.

ESERO in Europe

ESERO is ESA’s flagship educational project targeting primary and secondary school education in Europe. With France joining, the European network of ESERO offices now covers 18 ESA Member States: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.

For more information on ESERO-France: esero.france@cnes.fr