News

• “Ella Es Astronauta” (She´s an astronaut), a program that inspires and empowers future leaders in STEAM careers, in partnership with NASA’s Space Center, has transformed the lives of more than 200 girls in 6 Latin American countries.
• AERIS, the interested manager of the Juan Santamaría International Airport, is one of the partners of the initiative.

December, 2023. Costa Rica will mark history again with the second mission of 10 girls and young women to travel to NASA’s Space Center Houston, with the “She Is Astronaut” program of the Colombian SHE IS Foundation, with the purpose of providing them access to STEAM education and empowering them to be future leaders and agents of change in their territories.

In the last 4 months, the 10 Tico girls and young women have been trained in STEAM areas and soft skills, through virtual sessions with NASA instructors and the great allies of the program such as Organon, Goya, Grupo INS, Mastercard, Nike, AERIS, Totto, EY, Masco, and United Airlines, who make the girls’ dream possible and promote female empowerment through education.

“This initiative is very much aligned with AERIS’ commitment to generate positive impact in Costa Rica, not only in the short term, but also for the next generations. What today is to provide young people with tools and promote equality, diversity and inclusion, tomorrow will be reflected in women leaders who will inspire others to perform in any industry they choose,” said Ricardo Hernandez, executive director of AERIS, the manager of the Juan Santamaria International Airport.

This December 4, the crew members will begin a new adventure in one of the largest space centers in the world and will be immersed in a unique learning environment at NASA’s Space Center Houston in Texas, United States. During this experience, they will be surrounded by female engineers, flight directors and astronauts who will share their life experiences, inspiring them to break stereotypes and become replicators of knowledge in the field of space exploration. In addition, they will be challenged to build rockets, robotics, programming, travel simulations, and lunar habitats, to foster their knowledge and provide them with tools on leadership and teamwork.

Elieth Mora, Hilary Corrales, Isabella Rosales, Kiara Rosales, Kteishe Villanueva, María Guevara, Mariana Rodríguez, Meylin Santana, Sofia Bermúdez and Tamara Brenes, the 10 young science and technology lovers, have become a great inspiration for those who dream of breaking down gender stereotypes and materializing their dreams, due to the conditions of vulnerability and poverty in which they find themselves, which has not limited them to pursue their dreams and become agents of change.

Their adventure in space exploration will mark the beginning of a trajectory that will undoubtedly inspire numerous young women to pursue their dreams. “Ella Es Astronauta is an opportunity to acquire much more knowledge and further develop my projects, my goals and my dreams, which I want to develop so I can apply them in my country and thus help generate a positive impact on people, mainly focused on those who struggle with anxiety, depression and addictions,” adds Mariana Sofia Rodriguez, a 16-year-old crew member from Alajuela, Costa Rica.

To bid farewell to the second crew, a press conference was held on November 30 at 10:30 a.m. at the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Hotel – Cariari city, Montezuma room. On this occasion, the crew members shared, along with their families and allies of the program, about their learning and expectations in this new mission that they will embark on at NASA.

About She Is

The Colombian Foundation “She Is”, started operations in 2016, with the mission of empowering girls and women in vulnerable conditions through entrepreneurship and education in science and technology. Over the last 7 years, it has benefited more than 16,900 girls and women through programs such as She Is Astronauta and She Is Esmeralda. It currently operates in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Panama.

About AERIS Costa Rica

AERIS HOLDING COSTA RICA is a company of the CCR Group, which operates under the management model interested in the Juan Santamaría International Airport (AIJS), taking care of its operation, maintenance, rehabilitation, construction, financing and promotion.

The company seeks to exceed the expectations of its stakeholder management contract in a transversal manner to sustainability, generating social, environmental and economic value. AERIS is committed to providing a “Pura Vida” travel experience for passengers transiting through the main gateway to the country and to generate positive impact to Costa Rica and its stakeholders.

AERIS draws on the experience of its parent companies: HAS Development Corporation and Grupo CCR of Brazil, the latter as the main shareholder and with stakes in the international airports of Quito Ecuador, Curacao and Belo Horizonte in Brazil.

It currently connects Costa Rica with 37 destinations around the world, through 25 international commercial airlines and two domestic airlines that operate in its facilities.