As a result of this training process, students Jeremy Benjamín Garrido Villatoro and Marcos Sebastián Sánchez Estrada are representing Guatemala in the XV Latin American Astronomy and Astronautics Olympics -OLAA-.
After qualifying for the Guatemalan Astronomy Olympics, the students joined the Guatemalan Olympic Astronomy Team which will compete from October 9 to 13 in Panama.
They will compete with 150 participants from Latin America and will have to pass four tests: an individual theoretical exam, a group theoretical test, an observation exam and a final rocketry test.
Beyond individual competition, the spirit of the Latin American Astronomy and Astronautics Olympics seeks to encourage teamwork. That is, young people get to know each other, establish cultural ties, and make friends based on their passions for astronomy and space sciences. That is why the group theory and rocketry tests have a greater score weight in the result.
These Olympics have been held since 2008, and have become the largest annual elementary school level, Latin American educational event in astronomy and space sciences.
They promote the spirit of brotherhood, collaboration, and healthy competition. In addition, it allows the exchange of academic experiences among scientists, teachers, students, and amateurs, as well as developing astronomy and space sciences from schools in each of the Latin American countries.
The national delegation also includes students Vivian Dayana Valenzuela Yaquián, Alfredo Manuel Romero Stauder, Rebecca Samantha Ramos Mazariegos and ENA teacher Carlos Mayén.
ENA students have a state-of-the-art telescope which allows them to carry out observations and exercises in real time with experiential exercises.
