This year, for the first time, the students of 1st – 4th Grade took part in a new educational program, aimed at the defense and improvement of human health and physical condition both on earth and in space. Through the “Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut” program, they had the opportunity to learn to live like astronauts, trained just like real astronauts do and took part in a wide variety of activities over a six-week period.
During the program, they were informed about the energy of an astronaut as well as the benefits of a healthy diet. Through the food pyramid, they learned which types of food are necessary for us to have good health and energy while at the same time they realized that large amounts of sugar and fat are hidden even in seemingly innocuous foods. Through amusing experiments, they gradually began to perceive flavors and compare them to the way astronauts perceive them in space, where they lose the sense of smell. At the same time, they were surprised to see the difference between their height in the morning and in the evening and so they managed to calculate their height they would have in space. Through sports activities and exercises throughout the program, they understood the basic characteristics of an astronaut, learned to walk in the astronauts’ slow steps and found out the ways in which they can keep in shape.
On the last day of the program, the children evaluated the activities they participated in by completing their personal logbook. In this way, they won medals and points corresponding to miles and managed to launch their own rocket in space. It was the most magical flight!