Student Space Ambassador Archives | Page 2 of 2

TMG Student Space Ambassador Invited to White House Women’s Summit

June 16, 2016 By socialnicole Leave a Comment

Photo Credit: LaTonja Richardson

One of our Student Space Ambassadors (SSA) is well on her way to achieving her life dream of becoming the first African-American person on Mars. This week, TMG SSA Taylor Richardson added to her list of accomplishments attending the White House United State of Women Summit in Washington, DC that occurred on June 18. The summit focused on gender equality issues, centering on six distinct topics including: economic empowerment and health and wellness. The event features speakers like President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, as well as leaders like Oprah, U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi, astronaut Christina Koch, Amy Poehler, Shonda Rhimes, and Kerry Washington, just to name a few.

Meet Student Space Ambassador Taylor Richardson

At just 12 years old, Taylor is already making a difference with her life. She is an honors student, a triathlete, a Girl Scout, and more. Taylor started a book drive in her local community of Jacksonville, Florida, through which she has collected 3,000 new and gently used books for kids between the ages of 3 and 13. She was one of the youngest students ever accepted to Space Camp. Her passion for exploration was inspired by astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in space, who Taylor had the opportunity to meet earlier this month.

Taylor is exactly the type of student we love to have as part of our ambassador program. Her passion for space and dedication to hard work exemplifies what it takes to lead in this industry. As Taylor’s role model Dr. Jemison said, “Make your place at the table and be a voice. Don’t just sit at the table, be heard.”

We are so proud to have Taylor working with our organization. Congratulations on your invitation to the summit! We can’t wait to see what Taylor does in the future.

Astronaut Tim Peake To Run The London Marathon In Space While We #TrainLikeAMartian On Earth!

March 29, 2016 By groundcontrol Leave a Comment

Since British European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Tim Peake recently marked 100 days in space it seemed suitable to talk about his mission and legacy so far.

For those who may not know this, Britain has a terrible history in space; Britain uses Australia as a spaceport, Britain designs rocket, rocket flies, rocket fails, and Britain gives up… but what if I told you that we never really gave up?

In 1991, Helen Sharman became the first Brit in space. However, she went up as a citizen of Britain, not as an official British astronaut (it’s a bit complicated). Many other British people have been to space, including–most famously Michael Foale a British-American astrophysicists. However, they both had dual citizenship with the US and could never claim the title of ‘British astronaut.’

Tim Peake the First Official British Astronaut

Last year that changed. On December 15, 2015, Tim Peake became the first ever British astronaut. Tim is scheduled to stay on board the International Space Station for six months and is already three months in. Not only did he become the first official British astronaut, he became the seventh person born in the UK to “step aboard” the orbiting laboratory. He has completed many video and radio calls with various schools and museums and has even made video messages for the London 2016 New Year celebration and opened the Big Bang Fair 2016.

Running the London Marathon in Space

But wait, there’s more! On the April 24, 2016 Astronaut Tim Peake will be running the London Marathon… from space! What’s more, The Mars Generation is organizing an event April 18-24, 2016 called the Train Like A Martian Challenge. This worldwide event (happening in schools, workplaces, online as well as many local events) will bring awareness to the importance of space, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education and physical fitness. The event culminates on April 24, 2016 as a celebration of Tim Peake’s accomplishment of being the second astronaut to run a marathon in space.

The event will also be a fundraiser for The Mars Generation to help support and build the Student Space Ambassador program in which I am an active participant. This is an international event and we are looking for Student Space Ambassadors and others to host events in their local area and promote the event online (you can win prizes for helping to promote the event, click here to learn more).

Planet Earth, we need you! We need you to join the Mars Generation!

About the Author:

My Name is Luke B. and I’m a 15 year old, aspiring British European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut. For a large amount of my childhood I was fascinated by history (and I still am!) but another thing I have always been fascinated in is aviation. Maybe it was because I am obsessed with owls and other birds, maybe it just came to me. The world may never know! But what we do know is that the fascination is there, always has been, always will be.

It is only recently that I have made the decision to go into the aerospace industry. I want to become an astronaut. Before wanting to become an astronaut I wanted to be the curator of the Natural History museum in London, but now I have set myself on a collision course with the stars and it’s gaining heat. In 2015, I joined forces with The Mars Generation by becoming a Student Space Ambassador and have been providing help wherever needed, including taking the lead of my country in the #TrainLikeAMartian Challenge April 18-24, 2016. I still have a long way to go on my journey to Mars, but the stars await with patience and it’ll be worth every second of my time, it’s gonna be one heck of a ride!

**Tim Peake Photos Credit ESA/NASA

Welcome Nicole Chase! New Director of TMG Student Space Ambassador Program

December 23, 2015 By groundcontrol Leave a Comment

It is with great excitement that we welcome a new and very important member of the The Mars Generation team. Beginning immediately Nicole Chase, currently seeking a Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems from Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, will join The Mars Generation staff as our Student Space Ambassador Program Director (SSAPD). We are excited to have found a student who is dedicated not only to her own studies but is also committed to STEM education, mentoring, and the future of space exploration.

Our SSA program is a unique program which, in addition to providing a positive and supportive online community of teachers, parents and students through a private Facebook group, provides stories, resources and materials for students who want to make a difference in their communities. The program is ready for a leader like Chase to grow the vision to it’s full potential.

Prior to her graduate studies, Chase earned a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience, with a minor in General Sciences, and a Bachelor of Arts in Geography, with a minor in Chemistry, from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. During her undergraduate years, Chase helped to organize, plan, and execute numerous events on BGSU’s campus, held six leadership positions, and attended many regional and national leadership conferences. She is very excited to bring her knowledge and experience to The Mars Generation as the Director of the Student Space Ambassador Program.

Please join us in welcoming Nicole to The Mars Generation leadership team. It is the dedication of time and knowledge of people like Nicole that will allow our program to grow and advance. Together, we can change the world!

PRESS RELEASE: The Mars Generation Opens Applications For 10 Full Paid Space Camp Scholarships

December 21, 2015 By Leave a Comment

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN DECEMBER 21, 2015

The Mars Generation Opens Applications For 2016 Space Camp Scholarships

The Beginning today, The Mars Generation (TMG) is pleased to announce that the organization is now taking applications to select 10 students who will receive full-paid scholarships (transportation included) to Space Camp located in Huntsville, Alabama for summer of 2016.

The application process begins with the teachers who recognize talent and need. Teachers will nominate students who have demonstrated an aptitude in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) who would benefit from an experience like Space Camp. The Mars Generation board members will review nominations, and invite applications from qualified nominated students. Each application will include a two-page essay from the student. Deadline for teacher nominations is no later than Feb. 1, 2016, and student applications must be completed and submitted online on or before March 1, 2016.

Space Camp Scholarship qualifications include:

Being ages 13-16
Showing an interest and aptitude in STEM subjects
Having satisfactory academic standing
Demonstrating financial need – determined by student being at or below the income guidelines set in the USDA free lunch program. Student/parents will need to show income verification either through qualification of USDA free lunch verification or tax returns.
Being currently enrolled in a school in the United States
Having parent permission
Having never attended Space Camp

The Mars Generation Space Camp Scholarship program is a unique program offering support beyond the estimated $1,500 for tuition and transportation fees to attend the camp. To prepare TMG Scholars for the awe-inspiring experience of attending Space Camp, they will be mentored as a cohort by students who have previously attended Space Camp and are now TMG Space Ambassadors. Additionally, TMG will engage parent liaisons who will be available to answer questions and provide guidance to scholars’ parents.

“It is exciting to be able to award 10 full-paid scholarships to Space Camp just three months after launching this nonprofit,” said Nicole Harrison, Executive Director of The Mars Generation. “We are so thankful for the wonderful online community, official sponsors and private donors who have made these first scholarships possible, and we look forward to what the future will bring as this nonprofit matures.”

The Mars Generation serves as a catalyst to identify students with an interest in STEM and nurture their study in STEM education through outreach and scholarship programs. Through programs like the Space Camp Scholarship program, The Mars Generation fulfills its mission as a nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing and inspiring tomorrow’s explorers today. By energizing young people with excitement for space and STEM, TMG is educating youth and adults about the importance of deep space exploration to humankind.

Student nominations are now closed. Please signup for our email list below to receive notices of future scholarship openings.

For more information about Space Camp USA go to spacecamp.com

For questions and interviews, contact Yvonne Hundshamer at groundsupport@themarsgeneration.org

To sign up for future space camp scholarship updates please click here.

What is the one thing spaceflight needs most?

December 19, 2015 By groundcontrol Leave a Comment

Photo Credit: NASA

Thank you to The Mars Generation advisory board member Nujoud Merancy for writing this guest post about the key to spaceflight.

Spaceflight is hard. This is a well known fact to the engineers, scientists and astronauts that contribute in this industry. Regardless of your background, if you’ve made it to these pages, you probably have some understanding of this inherent difficulty. The factors that make space hard are numerous: the environment, the complexity of the vehicles, the costs, the politics and the time all play a role. These are all interrelated factors–the need to save cost by using a smaller rocket demands a lighter perhaps more complex vehicle to survive the stresses of launch. Optimizing for the vehicle then takes more time, rather than just being able to slap some hardware together. Each spacecraft is built for specific purposes, and each demands new engineering. The trials of a program don’t end at launch where, in particular for exploration, the time and challenge of the flight increase with distance.

As an example, there was a tremendous response recently to the New Horizons recent flyby of Pluto. The pictures and data being returned mesmerized pop culture, Twitter and the media. The mission seemed instantaneous… that is, except to those behind it. NASA green-lighted the mission in 2002, designed and built it in four years on shoestring budget, and launched in January of 2006 before spending nine years traveling thorough the vastness of space to bring those images to us. In this time, children were born, started walking and are now in high school, and the spacecraft flies on. The construction of the International Space Station, something I am proud to have contributed to, took thirteen years without even considering the years before of design, political debate and development.

So what is the key to spaceflight in the face of these challenges?

Persistence.

For all levels of engineering, from university to program management, successful people are those that just keep going regardless of what is thrown at them. Engineering is notoriously the hardest general category of college degrees with the dropout rate reported as high as 60%. But the real secret is not that the 40% that stayed in were all magically smarter, but they did have persistence. They showed up, they just kept trying and eventually made it. That skill translates to the work environment where they take on the question of “how?” and make it real. Making real machines, solving real problems and producing real products takes persistence. Every engineer has stories of failed designs or tests they had to redo. Picking up and fixing it is hallmark of engineering.

Using this persistence is necessary to face programs that stretch for years, missions that last decades, and will be required facing the challenges inherent in the Journey to Mars. There are no shortcuts ahead. There will be much debate on which vehicle, which mission, or which contract mechanism to use, but there is one ingredient required in any scenario: Persistence.

So I invite you to join us. Bring your energy, be fierce, be kind, but most of all, be persistent.

Kids Science And Space Gift Ideas

December 2, 2015 By Abigail Harrison Leave a Comment

With the holidays quickly approaching I thought I would put together a list of some of my favorite space and STEM gift ideas for kids (the adult list will come later). You will notice while many of these gifts are items you can purchase, I included things that are activity based as well. It’s easy to get caught up in material goods, yet there are many things that money can’t buy, like mom and dad providing the tools to experiment and allowing kids to make a mess and spending time with your loved ones or donating to a space charity of your choice. Think outside the box this year or better yet outside our galaxy for gifts that will really make an impact. I know my favorite gifts have come without wrapping paper and a bow. I am thankful for that!

Kitchen Science Lab For Kids and Homemade Science Kit

Have you ever noticed how little kids can spend hours playing with boxes while their toys sit idly by? Imagination and exploration are not about packaging and toys. These qualities come because children are given the tools to explore and allowed to make a mess! One of my all time favorite gifts as a child was a home science experiment book and a bunch of materials such as beakers, test tubes and other lab “tools” that my mom ordered online. I was not fortunate enough to have the Kitchen Science Lab for Kids available to guide my experimentation. This book is really cool! I have personally done many of the experiments with the kids I babysit for. Check it out and make a homemade science kit to go with it (this link leads you to a sample homemade kit form the author of the book). And don’t forget to make some space in your kitchen for your kids to get messy!

Kids Space and Science Books

You can go to Amazon.com (click the link here and sign up for Amazing Smile and select Space STEM Future Inc. as your nonprofit – you will then give a portion of all your purchases to The Mars Generation) and search “Space Kids” or “Science Kids” for a list of wonderful space and science books for your kids. Today I am going to recommend one of my all time favorite book series – The Magic School Bus. A neighbor gave us a box full of these books and my mom spent hours reading them to me and my sister. As I got older I read them myself. I loved these books growing up and your kids will too! My mom started reading them to me when I was 3 years old and she still keeps copies on her bookshelf because she says this is one series of books she can’t let go of. Such found memories.

Andrew Rader Space Adventure One more mention is a new book that was published through Kickstarter by Andrew Rader called Epic Space Adventure. I did not get to enjoy this book as a child, but I have enjoyed it several times already as a young adult reading it to the kids I babysit for. Your kids will love it! Andrew was kind enough to donate books to The Mars Generation and all proceeds go to support the nonprofit’s work. By purchasing this book you are also joining in to support the future of space exploration and encouraging that all kids dream big!

Give The Gift of Experience

It’s fun to unwrap presents that is for sure. But it’s also fun to get experiences. Growing up I received gifts of memberships to the Science Museum of Minnesota, The Children’s Museum and The Minnesota Zoo. I also received magazine subscriptions to National Geographic Explorer (which was my favorite kids science magazine) and others too. My uncle one year gave me a gift of taking me to a fancy dinner and a play – that was one of the most special gifts I have ever received. And then there was the year my mom got scuba certified with me. My point is that not all gifts get wrapped and put under the tree. Think outside the box and come up with gifts that have meaning and encourage your kids to explore the world around them.

Give The Gift of Giving

It’s easy to get caught up in giving and receiving gifts, but the best gift I have ever received was to give to others. While the holidays are a great time to volunteer time and energy to help others have a special holiday, there are opportunities throughout the year to give your time and money and make a difference. As a child growing up we volunteered for different programs every year from Toy for Tots to Meals on Wheels to smaller neighborhood events. My mom also worked for several nonprofits so as I grew older I volunteered to help run events. These experiences are some of my most memorable times. Look around your community and see what kind of opportunities exist that could give your kids a sense of how good it feels to give back. Incorporate this into your life whenever possible. But use the holidays as a catalyst.

Checkout these Student Space Ambassador Stories for ideas on how to empower your kids be leaders and give back:

Joey – 12 years old decided that he wanted to raise $1500 for The Mars Generation Space Camp Scholarship Program to send one kid to Space Camp in 2016. Joey was fortunate enough to attend Space Camp last summer and recognized that not all kids can afford to attend. He has raised over $400 so far and is currently selling TMG T-shirts to fund his efforts. Check out the T-shirts here and consider donating here to help him reach his goal. You can read his story here.

Taylor – 12 years old has run several book drives to make sure that every child has books of their own to read. Her latest book drive that happened a few weeks ago brought in 500 books which she gave away at a special event. Read Taylor’s story here.

Don’t forget to visit The Mars Generation Space Gifts Store

There are some great unique gifts available and all the proceeds will help support The Mars Generation’s programs. If you scroll to the bottom you will see donation links – you can donate to send a kid to space camp and also make automated monthly contributions if you would like.

What are your most creative and favorite kid’s STEM and space gifts to give? Please share your ideas below.

Meet Student Space Ambassador Taylor Richardson

December 1, 2015 By groundcontrol Leave a Comment

It’s always great to see young people step out to change the world. We are building our Student Space Ambassador (SSA) program to support young people who want to change the world, while also spreading their love of space and human space exploration within their own communities. We are very excited to introduce one of our Student Space Ambassadors (SSA), Taylor Richardson (age 12). Taylor is a great example of what can be done as a TMG SSA.

“As a woman of color, Taylor rarely sees people who look like her in STEM fields, and we thought this would be an opportunity to show how people of color are working towards fields in STEM/space.” said Latonja Richardson, Taylor’s mom. “This program [The Mars Generation] has given Taylor a whole new family that sees her as just another person interested in STEM/space.”

Taylor and her mom recently participated in our Give To Mars Day Potato Challenge. Taylor’s participation
consisted of eating 3 meals of boiled potatoes with a bit of pepper and drinking lots of water. But more than that she worked before and after school with her mom to reach out via social media and email to help raise awareness and funds for The Mars Generation’s campaign.

“The challenge was important to us because we know how hard it is to acquire funds for your dreams,” said Latonja. “This program is trying to ensure that our youth, particularly those who want to be in the field of STEM/space, have an outlet and a resource to help them live out their dreams.”

In addition to her work with TMG, Taylor is actively involved in promoting and supporting several causes, including childhood literacy, the Unity Day anti-bullying campaign, a girls’ empowerment club, and clothing drives for women and children.

Taylor organized Take Flight with A Book, a program that works in conjunction with the United Way Reading Pals program. By February 2015, she had collected nearly 200 books and donated them to North Shore Elementary School, located in Jacksonville, Florida. She also visited North Shore to read to the Pre-K class, while wearing her astronaut suit.

“I feel every kid deserves a book,” said Taylor. “Books can take you to great places and those places can lead to great possibilities.”

In November 2015, ‘Take Flight’ partnered with the Ritz Theatre & Museum to be one of multiple drop-off sites for books. With this, Taylor hosted a children’s book reading while dressed as Astronaut Starbright to promote the Black Wings: American Dreams of Flight exhibit on loan from the Smithsonian Institute. Taylor collected over 500 book donations during the event.

As a TMG Student Space Ambassador, Taylor is inspiring others to dream big, act big, and go out to make a change in the world. By sharing her excitement and passion for space with others, she truly embodies the spirit of The Mars Generation and we couldn’t be prouder.

Thank you Taylor for being a great earthling, a budding “Martian” and an inspiration to many! We are thrilled to be a part of your journey!