In Hungary and across Europe, interest in STEM subjects among school-age children is steadily declining. Textbook-based teaching that feels abstract and disconnected from everyday life fails to sufficiently motivate students on its own, and teachers do not always have the tools needed to teach science in an experience-based way. This negative trend contributes significantly to the labor shortage in scientific and technical fields, posing a serious challenge to the continent’s economies.
ESERO Hungary: Space Science in the Classroom
Client
ESA ESERO (European Space Education Resource Office)
Client Overview:
ESERO Hungary is the Hungarian member of ESA’s European educational network, ESERO. The program is implemented by Civitta Hungary (formerly Design Terminal) in partnership with the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) and the Hungarian Astronautical Society (MANT). The program addresses primary and secondary school students as well as teachers: its goal is to popularize STEM subjects and career paths through curriculum-aligned, experience-based teaching materials and programs.
The Challenge:
Our Approach:
Civitta Hungary (formerly Design Terminal), through the ESERO Hungary program, pursues three parallel approaches to spark students’ interest in science. Teacher training sessions provide innovative classroom methods and ESA teaching materials that can be integrated into a wide range of subjects, from mathematics through programming and art to sociology. Student programs and study trips – from the BME Small Satellite Group through the Svábhegy Observatory and the Palace of Miracles to company visits – offer hands-on encounters with the space industry.
School competitions engage different age groups: in the CanSat Challenge, participants design and build their own satellite; through the Astro Pi program, students can run their own code on the International Space Station; the Climate Detectives program invites students to explore real local climate issues using satellite data; and in Mission X, students get to experience how astronauts train. Beyond the national level, teams in these competitions can also advance to ESA’s international field.
The program’s flagship event is Hungary’s Space Week, held every year in Tapolca with more than 1,000 participants and exciting programs such as: Mission X, the Traveling Planetarium, a robotics workshop, the Moon Landing competition, and career orientation talks.
Results & Impact:
Reaching students starts with inspiring their teachers. We place strong emphasis on methodological and professional training for teachers: 526 teachers took part in training sessions (48 training sessions between 2024 and 2025).
We bring the space industry and cutting-edge technology closer to everyday life, showing young people the career opportunities of the future:
- 4,017 students reached through inspirational programs and events
- 1,100+ participants at Hungary’s second Space Week
- Record: 113 teams (535 people) at the CanSat Competition
- 250+ students at the national Mission X Day
