SLC School District

Bringing space down to Earth for students! We are still over the moon from June 8, when we ventured out to Spaceport America with the top performing student from our Salt Lake City Starborn Academy program. The grade 7 student showed an incredible aptitude for STEM throughout our 9-week program this semester. Uplift Aerospace was honoured to bring the student and her father out to New Mexico to meet the @virgingalactic & Uplift teams and the astronauts flying aboard the Galactic 07 rocket that day. She even got to play chess with Sir @richardbranson! We are incredibly grateful to the Virgin Galactic team for helping to increase access to space and making a life changing difference in students' lives. It is our mission to provide once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for students to engage with STEM industry leaders for career pathways. These experiences show students what is possible, not just for their futures, but for all our futures. We want to give a special shoutout to all the incredible astronauts & STEM leaders who took a moment to encourage and inspire our student: @kelliegerardi - Wow! We are all inspired by your spirit of curiosity and enthusiasm for exploration. Thank you for taking time to make our student feel the stars are within her reach. @CommanderMLA - Thank you for asking our student to share what she has learned, what she finds interesting, and her study about the Overview Effect. It is powerful to have an astronaut and leader in aerospace take the time to get to know and encourage students. Thank you! @AndySadhwani - Your kindness, encouragement, and personal story are exemplary. Our student was so grateful that you took the time to share your spaceflight experience and provide your thoughts around meaningful learning opportunities within her field of interest in astrobiology. Thank you! @ronrosano - Our student chose to present on the Overview Effect as part of her final project in the Starborn Academy. What a special moment to have you discuss your experience of seeing the Earth from space for the first time and what the Overview Effect has become for you personally. Thank you! @shawnapandya - You opened our student's mind to what is possible: explaining that space is for everybody and highlighting that we need the best doctors, lawyers, artists, trades people, STEM professionals, and more to build a future we all want to see. Thank you! James Willoughby - You and the teams at Virgin Galactic made this experience possible. Thank you! And a massive thank you to our partners at @slcecondev, @slcschools, @Team_SLEF, and @You_Science. #spaceportamerica #STEMeducation #starbornacademy #virgingalactic #STEAM #STEM #spaceeducation #aerospace