The 2014 edition of the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards has commenced and the entries are for all learners between the ages of 14 – 19 to write an essay or design a poster on the topic “Imagine you are a satellite, orbiting high above your own country or even above your own home or school”.
Competitors are to answer questions like such as what would you see? What would you like to tell the people below about what you see from up there? What would you like people to know? What would you like them to think about? And If you could send them a message or an image, what would you like to say or show?
The DStv Eutelsat Star Awards is part of the ongoing partnership between MultiChoice Africa and Eutelsat since 1999.
The pan-Africa collaboration has over the years created meaningful engagement with students, the academic community and the scientific world.
The competition is geared towards students and encourages them to either write an essay or design a poster about the benefits of satellite technology on the continent.
Since its inception, the competition has drawn over a 3000 entries across the continent and has invigorated a passion for science amongst the younger generation.
The Awards are open to all students from secondary (high) or combined schools in Africa where MultiChoice Africa maintains operations.
Entry forms can be obtained from any MultiChoice Resource Centres, the nearest MultiChoice office or copies can be downloaded the website.
Entries may be prepared in English, French and Portuguese.
The awards collateral will also be made available in 3 languages (English, French and Portuguese).
Competition closes on 27 October 2014 and only entries submitted on the prescribed entry form will be eligible.
The DStv Eutelsat Star Awards comprises national and international adjudication.
The first assessment of entries is at country level with a panel of local judges selecting country winners and runners-up who go through a round of preliminary judging which culminates in the selection of the final winners.
A regional panel selects the top four entries. Last year the panel was chaired by the inspirational European Space Agency Astronaut, Paolo Nespoli, assisted by a panel of industry experts who commended the standard of the competition.
Country winners receive exciting country prizes and go on to compete against each other for the overall continental awards.
The overall essay and poster winners are eligible for a once in a lifetime trip for two to the Eutelsat facilities in Paris, with the essay winner traveling onwards to witness a live rocket launch.
Runners up will win a trip to South Africa as guests of MultiChoice Africa.
Schools attended by the overall winners will also receive a DStv installation, including dish, television, state-of-the-art PVR decoder and free access to the DStv Education Bouquet.
The winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony in Zambia during February 2015.
MultiChoice Africa Limited is an African pioneer of pay TV services in sub-Sahara Africa, having launched the first digital satellite service in the 1980s.
Eutelsat Communications, on the other hand, is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A.
With capacity commercialised on 30 satellites delivering reach of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, significant parts of the Americas and the Asia-Pacific, Eutelsat Communications is one of the world’s leading satellite operators.