Land in the Stars at Kansas Cosmosphere Summer Camps
Above her head circle the blades of a space-themed ceiling fan, while in her mind swirl dreams of scientific exploration and discovering the heavens. She is 11, and just beginning to formulate goals and aspirations for the big world outside her home. She wants to “shoot for the moon, because even if you miss, you’ll still land among the stars.” At this crucial age, this time of ripe learning with an untarnished view of everything her future has to offer, the sky really is the limit. But how can she tap into this potential? How can she test her dreams against reality? How will she ever know if she really can shoot for the moon?
This girl with visions of galaxies dancing in her head is my cousin Molly*, and it is her greatest wish to attend Space 101 Camp at the Kansas Cosmosphere this summer. As it just so happens, the Cosmosphere had recently contacted me to write a sponsored post about their summer camps, something I gladly accepted as I’m a big fan of their programs, anyway. But hearing my cousin’s excitement, seeing the pictures of her bedroom all decked out in astronauts, spaceships, and other celestial images made me realize one thing. This could be life changing for her.
“ This will help me decide what I want to be when I grow up. I don’t necessarily want to be an Astronaut but I do want to work at NASA. I want to be an engineer,” she told me.
Her enthusiasm and determination reminded me of someone else I knew…me. When I was her age, I wanted to be an author. Imagine if, at the time, I had been able to attend a week-long writer’s camp. Would it have taken me this long to finally realize my true calling?
Space 101 Camp at the Kansas Cosmosphere allows students entering grades 7-8 to “Train Like an Astronaut.” How cool is that? According to cosmospherecamps.org, campers get to:
- Pilot our advanced Falcon III spacecraft simulator in a low Earth orbit mission
- Experience a real Soyuz capsule used to train astronauts worldwide
- Train like real astronauts on our 4-G centrifuge, multi-axis trainer and stress simulator
- Oversee the mission as spaceflight supervisor at Mission Control
- Adventure into the Hall of Space Museum, showcasing spacecraft that have traveled to the Moon and back
- Build and launch your own rockets
There are four sessions available, and tuition is $549.
Session 1 (Jun 11th – Jun 15th , 2013), Session 2 (Jun 18th – Jun 22nd , 2013), Session 3 (Jul 9th – Jul 13th , 2013), Session 4 (Jul 16th – Jul 20th , 2013).
“When I found out how much tuition was, I kind of freaked out a little,” said Molly’s mom. “Plus, she’s only 11. To be away for a whole week? I wasn’t sure.”
So what changed her mind? What convinced her to let her daughter go?
“I went to work and talked to a coworker who said her son had attended that same camp 11 years ago. She said it was the best spent money. He learned so much and came back a different kid. She was scared at first, but said it was the coolest thing that her son came home so pumped about the camp, the instructors and everything there. She’s one of my greatest mentors, so that sealed the deal for me!”
Even if your child only has a minor interest in science, consider one of the Kansas Cosmosphere camps this summer. Their quality programs ensure that campers not only learn about space, but learn about problem solving, teamwork and leadership.
Camp KAOS (Kansas Adventures in Outer Space), provides not only the excitement of spaceflight, but the development of campers as students and as people in a supportive environment. The knowledgeable and highly skilled staff helps campers gain confidence and feel positive about their accomplishments while growing and connecting with other campers. Campers leave with real-world experiences and an ability to approach and navigate roadblocks in all future career endeavors.
I hope my girls, just like my young cousin, will one day desire to explore the heavens, or at least explore summer camp at the Kansas Cosmosphere. Will they be scientists or engineers? Only time will tell. And after all, as Molly* has written on her wall, even if they miss while shooting for the moon, they’ll still land in the stars.
Learn more about the Kansas Cosmosphere and summer camps available here.
*Name Changed
I like the sound of this girl! I attended camp in 2003, 2004, and 2005. I was a bit older, having finished by sophomore year of high school in 2005, but it was a blast. I worked as a camp counselor for two summers as well and it was the best thing ever. I had so much fun on both sides and I know I’m not the only one. The 3rd camp level goes down to Johnson Space Center and while there we went around asking everyone we met, what they majored in in high school. They were all engineers, so I decided to become one too. I have been working as an aerospace engineer at Cessna for almost a year now and I can honestly say camp was a life-changing experience for me!
Krystina, wow! That is amazing! So cool to know it had such a lasting impact on you. Thank you for sharing your story!
Molly will have a blast! My daughter has been through Mars Academy & Space 101 & 201. She’s coming back for Space 301 this summer and can’t WAIT to visit Houston. The Kansas Cosmosphere’s camps are second to none and your future engineer will be challenged and more excited than ever about space. Good luck Molly!
My husband was a space camp participant back in the day and loved it. He and some of his fellow campers are still in touch! And it encouraged his love of science…today he’s a high school physics teacher and works with a national community of educators to improve science education in the classroom.
He has not yet made it to the moon, but he’s bringing the universe closer to hundreds of kids every year.