By Matthew Matola | Grant Writer
We are delighted to share that Katya, ASYV Class of 2021, has become the first of our students to enter the Breakthrough Junior Challenge. The international competition, organized by the U.S.-based Kahn Academy and National Geographic, invites thousands of young people from around the world to help build enthusiasm for math and science by making creative and educational videos. Using what she has learned in her ASYV math and physics classes, Katya worked together with physics teacher Ernest Nsekanabanga to craft a video explaining the concept of escape velocity. This report describes the incredible support winning this challenge would bring to Katya and ASYV, and celebrates Katya’s hard work in applying her science knowledge to the Breakthrough Junior Challenge.
If Katya wins the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, she and ASYV will receive several transformative awards. Katya will personally receive a post-secondary scholarship of $250,000 USD, helping her attend the university of her choosing in Rwanda or around the world. If she is also selected as this year’s space exploration champion, Katya will be invited to attend a live rocket launch in 2022. In addition to these exciting learning opportunities, physics teacher Ernest Nsekanabanga would receive $50,000 USD for his role in inspiring Katya’s work, and ASYV would win a new science lab valued at $100,000 USD.
Designed in partnership with the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a biological research and education institution on Long Island, this science lab would enhance our ability to teach subjects like physics, chemistry, and biology by enabling significant improvements to our existing lab equipment and infrastructure. Many of our students come to ASYV from schools where hands-on science education is not possible, and where most teachers instead rely on lectures and memorization. By allowing our students to better explore scientific concepts, this lab would boost student confidence and interest in the sciences and show our kids that they themselves have the potential to become scientists.
This kind of hands-on science education was a major influence for Katya, whose experience in ASYV’s math-physics-computer science combination inspired her to produce a video for the Breakthrough Junior Challenge’s new space exploration category. Starting her video with a brief discussion of gravity and its role in the solar system, Katya quickly moves on to explain what the concept of escape velocity is and how it describes the speed at which a non-propelled object can escape the gravity of a more massive object. Katya then goes on to discuss how gravity affects other bodies in the universe, including galaxies and black holes, and the visual similarities between stellar bodies shaped by gravity and atomic structures. Using a combination of formulas and visual aids, Katya paints an engaging picture of space and humanity’s attempts to reach it. In addition to her video submission, Katya was also asked to answer several written questions as part of the application process. Including “Why do you think life sciences, physics, or math is important?” and “Which area of science would you like to pursue in the future and why?”, these questions encouraged Katya to consider what she enjoys most about science and whether she might want to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
We hope you enjoyed this brief look into Katya’s entry for the Breakthrough Junior Challenge. We are deeply proud of all that she has accomplished, and wish her the best of luck moving forward. If you would like to learn more, we invite you to click the link below to watch Katya’s video on YouTube, entitled Space exploration-Escape Velocity. You can also click the links below to follow us on social media. Your kind and compassionate support makes all of this possible. Murakoze cyane (thank you very much)!
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