Odysseus II project financed by the European Union, aims to inspire young people throughout Europe to engage in space exploration through a series of educational activities.

The main activity of the project is a fun-oriented educational contest (The Youth for Space Challenge) that combines scientific learning with hands-on experience. Organized in multiple rounds, the contest targets all pupils and students in Europe, wherever they are living and irrespective of their cultural background or language.

The ultimate aim of the project is to foster the development of qualified scientists, engineers and technicians in areas relevant to the priorities of EU space policy.

All projects can be presented and defended in Spanish in all phases of the competition. Each category has different phases, national, regional and international levels.

Categories:

• Skywalkers: primary school, aged 7 to 13. Deadline: 31 March 2016
• Pioneers: secondary school, aged 14 to 18. Deadline: 15 January 2016
• Explorers: university, aged 17 a 22. Deadline: 15 January 2016
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Prizes:

• For the national Skywalkers winners: their pictures entries displayed, a model rocket kit. For the International Final winners an iPad Air 2 with space related e-books and applications and a ‘European Youth Space Ambassador’ diploma.
  
• For the national Pioneers winners: trip to the city of the regional final, a memory pack, medal. For the Regional Final winners: high-end telescope, trip to the city where they held the final. For the International Final winners: Journey to the Kourou launch site in French Guiana
  
• For the national Explorers winners: diploma, medal memories and publication of the project in the "Hall of Fame". For the Regional Final winners: high quality computerized telescope. For the International Final winners: trip to Kourou, internships to ESA or to a European aero-space industry
  

Mentors and evaluators

Currently, the organization is looking for mentors and evaluators for each country.

Mentors should provide scientific support to the competitors and evaluators should be a large group enough to review the works nationwide, to choose the best works of the categories.

• Evaluators and mentors are mutually exclusive categories.
  
• Assessors and mentors from different fields, engineering, design, architecture, medicine, art, ... are required.
  

In order to have an idea of ​​the number of the evaluators and mentors needed, it is important that teachers who intend to send teams to the competition made their entry as soon as possible