adminTafadzwa Zimoyo Cool Lifestyle Writer
Teenagers have been given an opportunity to shine and showcase their talents by participating in the 2013 DStv Eutelsat Star Awards.
The organisers of the awards, which were launched two months ago, have made a final call for entries from across Africa.
The awards have been growing in stature and participation since they were launched two years ago. There were more than 800 entries in 2011 rising to over 1 000 entrants last year.
The awards will see 14- to 19-year-old students tasked to write an essay or design a poster on a specified topic and the deadline is September 19.
According to MultiChoice Zimbabwe spokesperson, Liz Dziva, country prizes will be available to winners of each of the participating countries.
“The awards are aimed at inspiring innovative thinking among high school students in Africa. There are there to promote awareness of science and technology, which are applied to everyday life, and to showcase the many ways that satellites impact on the development of the African continent,” she said.
She said the awards were aimed at raising awareness and active interest in information and communication technology, particularly satellites.
“The Star Awards challenge high school students from over 42 African countries, including Zimbabwe, to propose how they would use the satellites in space to address issues facing the community, country or continental priorities,” she said.
Like in 2011 and 2012, winners in this year’s essay and poster competitions will each win once in a lifetime trips for two to the Eutelsat facilities in Paris. With the winners also going on to witness a live rocket launch.
Dziva said they were more prizes as well to winners of lesser awards.
“Runners-up in the competition will win trips to South Africa as guests of MultiChoice Africa.
“Schools attended by the overall winners will each also receive a DStv installation for free which includes a satellite dish, television, state-of-the-art PVR decoder and free access to the DStv Education Bouquet,” said Dziva.
She said the competition would stimulate thinking among young Africans on the application of satellite technology as a way of shaping society and economies, and would give the winners first hand exposure to the technology in action.
“The awards present us with an opportunity to actively stimulate and showcase emerging science and technology talent on the African continent.
“The competition uniquely promotes knowledge and understanding of satellite technology among African youth.
“Thus kindling an interest in exploring career paths and opportunities that the world of satellites offers,” explained Dziva.
Dziva said students can enter the awards by collecting an entry form and other resources from the MultiChoice Zimbabwe offices.
Overall winners going on to compete against each other at continental level for the overall awards.
Online Reporter