Students Join the CEOS Youth Initiative

for the Second Year

For the second consecutive year, our students participated in the CEOS Youth
Initiative, an international program connecting students with scientists and experts
working in satellite Earth observation. Organized under the Committee on Earth
Observation Satellites (CEOS), the initiative brings together space agencies and
international organizations to inspire young people to explore how satellite data can
help address global challenges such as natural disasters, environmental monitoring,
and climate change.
The first year of the program was organized by the UK Space Agency, which
launched the pilot CEOS Youth Programme to foster international collaboration
among students interested in Earth observation science. Building on the success of
that first year, the 2026 program is coordinated by Australia, with leadership from
organizations including Geoscience Australia, CSIRO, and the Bureau of
Meteorology.
This year’s first workshop focused on monitoring wildfires from space. Our school
joined the global session with five student teams made up of talented students from
both junior high and senior high school. Students participated alongside peers from
several other countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Japan,
Greece, and Norway, creating an international learning environment where ideas and
perspectives could be shared across borders.
The session was led by Prof. Marta Yebra and Dr. Nicolas Younes Cardenas from the
Australian National University, who introduced students to how satellites detect
wildfires and monitor vegetation that may fuel future fires. Students explored key
remote sensing concepts such as spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution, learning
how scientists use different types of satellite data to observe changes on Earth.
During the interactive activity, students worked in groups to design their own
satellite mission. They considered what their satellite should measure, what orbit it
should use, and who might benefit from the data, from scientists and environmental
agencies to emergency responders and local communities.

Participating in the CEOS Youth Initiative for a second year has been an exciting
opportunity for our students to engage with real-world science, collaborate
internationally, and explore how space technology helps us better understand and
protect our planet.