YouTube, NASA, ESA and other partners have announced the creation of YouTube Space Lab, a channel that asks students aged 14 to 18 to devise an experiment to be carried out in the International Space Station. Students can participate individually or in groups of up to three people, create a two minutes video in which they propose an experiment and post it on YouTube Space Lab. You can send your suggestions from today until December 7, 2011 and each participant may submit up to three proposals. On YouTube Space Lab there’s a link to the official rules of the contest, which must be strictly observed in order to participate.

The jury that will review the proposals is composed of scientists, including Professor Stephen Hawking, astronauts and teachers but the final judging will also include the votes by the online community. Proposals will be evaluated taking into account these factors:

• Understanding and use of the scientific method
• Effectiveness of the idea communication
• Creativity of the idea
• Overall assessment of the idea and its presentation
• Votes of online community

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Among all the proposals Regional winners – Americas Region, Europe, Middle East and Africa Region and Asia Pacific Region – will be selected and among thosee global winners for the categories 14-16 years and 17-18 years will be selected. The announcement of the global winners will be given on March 13, 2012.

The experiments that will win the contest will actually be conducted on the International Space Station and transmitted live via YouTube. The global winners will go to Tokyo to witness the takeoff of the rocket that will transport the winning experiment or, once they come of age, will go to Moscow to attend a training course for astronauts.

This initiative aims to involve young people in a scientific project to encourage them to develop their creativity in science and engineering. Today more than ever there’s a need for scientists to not only keep on expanding our knowledge but also to contribute to solving the problems of the world. Yet it seems that the interest of young people in starting a career in science is decreasing. Such an initiative, which involves not only NASA and ESA and several companies working in the field of technology but also YouTube, one of young people’s favorite sites, is definitely important to show that science can be exciting.