Children reach for stars at Space Camp

NASA Space Camp is a place where kids come together for a journey they will never forget. Each child learns about astronauts and space travel, and experiences something even more important: developing bonds of friendship.

The Military Child Education Coalition created a Space Camp scholarship in memory of one of its brightest and finest children, Bernard Curtis Brown II. Bernard, an 11-year-old son of a Navy chief petty officer and his wife, was killed Sept. 11, 2001, when the hijacked airliner on which he was a passenger crashed into the Pentagon in Washington,
D.C. At the time, the youth was on his way to California to represent his school at a National Geographic event.

The scholarship gives military-connected children the chance to bring together the worlds of service, science and learning.

U.S. Space Camp is an eight-day program that shows youngsters firsthand what it takes to be an astronaut. Activities include simulated Space Shuttle missions, training simulators, rocket building and launches, scientific experiments, and lectures on the past, present, and future of space exploration.

Offered at Huntsville, Ala., Space Camp takes a unique, fun, and hands-on approach to learning outside the classroom, and students leave with a greater appreciation for school and their studies.

The scholarship covers full tuition, meals, lodging, program materials and transportation (from student's home base to nearest Space Camp and return).

Requirements
Each student applicant must:
•be a child of an active-duty military parent,
•be enrolled in grades six through nine;
•submit a hand-written essay stating why he or she should be selected, evidence of patriotism, future goals, community service, and "after camp" intentions
•submit two letters of recommendation with contact information, and complete and submit an application by the March 10 deadline.
Applications are available from militarychild.org. More information about Space Camp is available from spacecamp.com.