Bring Space Club to Your School!
By Natasha Wilkerson, Space Club Director
"The inspirational value of the space program is probably of far greater importance to education than any input of dollars…A whole generation is growing up which has been attracted to the hard disciplines of science and engineering by the romance of space." Arthur C. Clarke, First on the Moon, 1970
How it all began
Back in 2014, pursuing a passion for education, I (Natasha) left a career in aerospace engineering to join the non-profit Communities In Schools of San Antonio. I was tasked with developing a STEM club that would connect with at-risk youth who had trouble finding the motivation to stay in school. I wanted to find a way to attract all students and avoid any preconceived notions about STEM. So I started Space Club in 2014 with the thought that giving students a window into the beauty of space—and teaching the journey of humankind's exploration of other worlds—is a powerful tool to inspire and engage interest in science and engineering.
I will never forget the first day of Space Club. Sixty students stood in line to attend the first meeting, and they all packed inside a tiny portable to hear me talk about space exploration. That year, we launched rockets, designed a colony on Mars, and even deployed a weather balloon to 100,000 feet! Since then, Space Club has grown to serve over 1,500 students, includes a network of teachers and STEM mentors, and hosts an annual Space Colony Competition.
I started Space Club because of my educational background, but I did not expect the awesome impact that launching a rocket and imagining a colony on Mars can have on a student's confidence and dreams.
And now we are excited to be able to bring Space Club to students around the world! Watch this video to hear from teachers using Space Club’s Mission to Moon this year:
Space Club is Going National!
I am so proud of the impact of Space Club in schools across San Antonio, but I never dreamed of growing this into a national program. Last year, we received a grant from NASA (yes, THE NASA!) to expand our efforts and develop a national network of Space Club programs in middle schools across the country! Check out all the schools that are running Space Club this year!
So what exactly is Space Club?
Space Club is typically run as a year-long, weekly afterschool program. The fall semester focuses on team building and the introduction of the engineering design process. In the spring, students form teams to complete a capstone design project such as designing a colony on Mars (see video below). Vivify STEM supports curriculum development for Space Club sites including our Mars Colony Project and Launchpad Mission to Mars series.
Space Club also involves STEM mentors and field trips to increase engagement. Every year, we take over 150 students to NASA Johnson Space Center for an unforgettable experience.
However, everything was paused in the spring due to COVID-19. We had to get creative in thinking of ways to keep students engaged in this enrichment program, and we are excited to present an all-virtual Space Club option for the 2020-2021 school year!
How to Participate
We invite teams of elementary and middle school students to join a virtual Mission to the Moon! From space suit design to growing plants in space, join us for an interactive virtual program with weekly design challenges, sessions with NASA engineers, and the chance to win telescopes and robots!
Whether a STEM class or an afterschool program, any educator can form a team of students to launch a Space Club program! This will include access to:
Real-world engineering challenges
All virtual programming for distance learning
Interaction with students across the country
All training and curriculum provided
Weekly Space Club Career Chats with NASA engineers and astronauts
Educators can integrate Space Club into their classroom or afterschool using either in-person or distance learning options.
What are you waiting for?!
Looking for space STEM activities you can implement in your classroom? You can also check out Vivify's space STEM products previewed below or our post on Top 10 STEM Space Activities for more ideas!
