Grow Interest In Science Through Imagination And Games, Magelang City Government Holds Rocket Competition

Illustration of a rocket. (Unsplash-Jean Philippe Delberghe)

MAGELANG - The City Government of Magelang held a controlled rocket competition at the junior high school level to develop a culture of science for the younger generation.

The Controlled Rocket Competition at the junior high school level in Magelang is planned to be held at Moch Soebroto Field, Magelang City, Central Java, on 29 September.

"We want to introduce more in the field of science and technology as an effort to arouse the interest and talent of the younger generation in the field of aerospace," said Head of the Magelang City Regional Development Planning Agency, Handini Rahayu, in a written statement, quoted from Antara, Friday, September 23.

He explained the importance of developing a culture of science and technology for the community, especially the interest of the younger generation, in the field of science through imagination, experiments, and games in an effort to develop human resources (HR), including through the competition.

He hopes that the competition will be a place to give students appreciation for science and technology, through a fun science lesson, supporting the school's education curriculum, especially in the field of science.

In addition, he said, to raise self-confidence, competitiveness, and nationalism to the younger generation.

The series of competitions began with a workshop attended by 100 participants, including 24 teams, in the Adipura Hall, Magelang City Government Office Complex, Thursday 22 September.

Each team consists of three students and one school supervisor, as well as a controlled rocket supervisor from IST Akprind Yogyakarta. Participants came from SMP and MTs, both public and private, in Magelang City.

"Starting from this 'workshop', there is a transfer of knowledge carried out by lecturers and students of IST Akprind Yogyakarta through mentoring in every school in Magelang City," said Handini.

After the workshop, a test launch of 10 controlled rockets was carried out in the field behind the Magelang City Government Office.

He said, those who succeeded in the competition would receive awards in the form of certificates and prizes with a total of Rp. 13 million.

The Mayor of Magelang Muchamad Nur Aziz said that science and technology competitions should be cultivated to stimulate the curiosity and enthusiasm of the community, especially the younger generation, to innovate.

He hopes that this workshop will produce innovations that have value.

In addition, he asked the participants to participate in these activities in a competitive and fun way.

He also gave an example of innovations related to controlled rockets, which are not just water rockets but also have control and measurement.

"It turns out that this rocket can detect the weather. This is the entrance way for children, whose technology can be developed even higher in the future," said Aziz.