There are many benefits to hosting Galactic Challenge. Boys and girls know that no adults have ever lived on Mars, or Venus or an asteroid, to they know that this is something where having ideas still matters. Big ideas, imaginative but purposeful ideas, astonishing ideas.

But young students also know that you have to live, eat, sleep, breathe, learn, play, stay healthy, have medical care, have beauty, have day/night, have transport, have…   The fundamental concept of designing a space settlement comes naturally to them because they live in designed settlements on Earth: they can relate to the mission, but it is just much cooler to design it for another planet.
And it is not fantasy: they can be told that there are governments and billionaires racing to be the ones to get to Mars and put a human boot print on it.

For science and engineering detail, there is the internet. For appreciating the issues, there is real life experience. Kids do life really well.