When Tony and I started Magnitude in 2013, we had no idea where it would go. We just knew we wanted to make a difference in the world through extraordinary learning moments. A few years later in 2017 our first mission to the International Space Station became a reality (yet even today I still have no idea where it will go)! What I do know is that we could not possibly do the things we do without extraordinary partners that share the vision of experiential learning at the edge of discovery.

Today on the fourth day of World Space Week, we would like to introduce you to one of our newest partners — Mame Faty Lo, alumna of Maison d’Education Mariama Ba (MEMBA) — and our oldest partner on the continent of Africa, i-Innovate. Announced at the beginning of the week, both organizations, and now affiliates in the growing work Magnitude is doing with the United Nations supported program, Opportunities for Youth in Africa.

Senegal

MEMBA is a boarding school on the island of Goree that educates young Senegalese girls from 6th to 12th grade who have passed a rigorous entrance examination.  As an alumna of Maison d’Education Mariama Ba, Mame Faty Lo brings her love of astrophysics and strong leadership skills to more than 30 young women. Her goal is to provide the opportunity to take part in the next wave of spatial innovations relevant to the African continent and the cosmos as a whole.

South Africa

I-Innovate is dedicated to bringing 21st century learning to underserved classrooms and communities through cutting edge STEAM education programs, design thinking, and problem-based learning tools, equipment and resources. I-Innovate fuels the curiosity within its students to create problem-seers and problem solvers to cultivate technical knowledge, problem solving and relationship building to compete in careers through a multitude of programs.

As veterans of our last 6 ExoLab missions to the International Space Station, i-Innovate has developed a growing network of schools and other NGOs across South Africa. Past schools have included Cape Academy of Mathematics, Science and Technology, Claremont High School, Christoph Meyer Maths and Science Centre, and Diepsloot Combined School. We understand more schools will be announced soon, including universities that will participate in the advanced post flight research being led by Berkeley National Lab and the Joint Genome Institute. i-Innovate: True leaders and great friends!

Like what you see? Just a few days left before we have to stop taking orders and prepare for the mission to get underway! You still have an opportunity to join us on our next mission to the International Space Station this November with ExoLab-10.