
Go For Launch! is a multi-day program (not overnight) that uses space exploration as a platform to launch student involvement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), STEAM (Art), teamwork, communication and leadership. This program was developed to reach high-school-age students and is open to any student going into grades 8-12.
Students are immersed in the wonder of human space flight through a variety of talks delivered by experts in the fields of space & STEM. The Sault Ste. Marie event includes Astronaut Tony Antonelli and Higher Orbits Founder and CEO Michelle Lucas, who is a former Mission Operations Directorate Flight Controller in International Space Station (ISS) Mission Control and Astronaut Instructor in the ISS Daily Operations Group. Students get insight and feedback from experienced space and STEM professionals whose goals are to illustrate the numerous possibilities that exist in the world of STEM. A unique facet of Go For Launch! is that the students work with an astronaut throughout each day of the event.
Broken into teams, students work together for the entire event. Collaborative activities allow team members to complete tasks for daily awards. These tasks are designed to build leadership and teamwork skills, as well as enhance communication skills. The culminating exercise is a design project. Each team must define and design a space experiment. At the conclusion of each program, the teams present their ideas to a panel of judges from the Space & STEM fields, who will then choose a winner from each Go For Launch! event. Depending on the series (groupings), winning experiments will be launched to and conducted aboard the International Space Station or on a suborbital flight!
Due to significant community support, the registration fee is just $20 per student! This is a very unique opportunity which is the only one of its kind in Michigan this year and we are excited for our youth to expand their horizons!
Registration Link for Go For Launch in Sault Ste. Marie
Last year, the selected group from this event travelled to Florida in September to watch the launch of their project into space. It's at the International Space Station now.