FAQ
Space Camp is an educational camp in Huntsville, AL, on the grounds of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Museum at NASA’s Marshal Space Flight Center. It is the ultimate educational experience that illuminates real-world applications of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Students work as a team and confront mission scenarios that require dynamic problem solving and critical thinking – 21st century learning skills required in the workplace.
Throughout the week, students are immersed in astronaut training techniques using equipment adapted from NASA’s astronaut program. They learn about space hardware, enjoy and educational water activity and experience a spaceflight mission while learning about aerospace career opportunities.
You can learn more about Space Camp on NASA’s website here: https://www.spacecamp.com/space/camp
Want to go to Space Camp? Click here
Going to Space Camp is a two part process.
(1) Participate in our programs! At Taking Up Space we want to get to know participants and build upon their interests before they attend Space Camp.
(2) Successful completion of our programs makes participants eligible for a full scholarship (valued at $2,000) to NASA’s Space Camp, in the summer of 2021, at the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL.
Head on over to our “Go to Space Camp” page to learn more and get started!
The purpose of the program is to send Native American girls to Space Camp at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville Alabama. We believe that giving these young girls this opportunity and exposing them to fun, hands-on experiences will help facilitate a high level of interest in STEM and STEM related areas throughout middle school and beyond.
We believe that our talented group of young students have the potential to become members of our next generation of scientists, engineers, and teachers. Our goals are threefold:
i) To expand, pursue, and maintain a STEM interest in their educational and career goals by actively participating in the Space Camp experience where, learning how to work as a team, they experience first hand simulated astronaut missions.
ii) To bring the unique Native American perspective, culture, and language to other participating students in order to bridge cultural gaps for greater understanding.
iii) Upon their return they will be encouraged to become ambassadors to their tribe. They will produce a video, will give personal presentations, talk of their learning experiences, and will become mentors to encourage other students to broaden their own educational horizons in the same way.
As reported in a 2014 article by the Girl Scout Research Institute “Research shows that girls start losing interest in math and science during middle school.” In addition, “Women account for about only 20% of the bachelor’s degrees in engineering, computer science, and physics… Regardless of specific area of STEM, only about 25% of these positions are held by women.” This trend places our nation at an overall reduction of a future STEM workforce, where globally the reverse has occurred.
TUS is designed to remedy this trend by having the girls maintain an active interest in STEM related areas before they lose their interest in STEM. We believe that by providing extra-curricular activities such as Space Camp, we will not only accomplish this, but will also have an impact on both their advanced academic and future career goals.
Space Camp Participants:
(i) Write a report detailing the experience in the form of a journal, paper, or daily diary to be presented to the classmates and the Tribe.
(ii) Compete a follow-up aptitude survey the following year concerning attitudes towards STEM and STEM related courses.
