NORTH Richmond resident Leonie Lees took her granddaughter Alexis to Space Camp in the USA two years ago. Alexis was in Year 5 at Richmond North Public School at the time, and was keen to go on the trip.
Ms Lees was skeptical at first, but she wanted her granddaughter to have the experience. She also didn’t want Alexis to go alone, so she went to Space Camp, too.
“I didn’t want to leave the family and I’d never been out of Australia and never really travelled. A 50-odd woman was scared and I got on the plane and cried my eyes out!” she said.
“Then we landed and had the Hollywood experience which was great. But when we got to the actual Space Camp, it was amazing. It really was.”
Richmond North is one of a growing number of schools getting involved with Space Camp – a yearly STEM trip organised by Jackie Slaviero of One Giant Leap Australia.
The trip includes visits and tours of Northrop Grumman Headquarters, Californian Science Centre, Universal Studios, Disneyland and the US Space and Rocket Centre.
Ms Lees said her granddaughter Alexis had such a good time at Space Camp that now, at thirteen years old and in Year 7 at Colo High, she wants to go to Mars or work for NASA when she grows up.
Ms Lees is currently looking forward to her second Space Camp experience in the October school holidays, when she will take her next granddaughter in age, Lola, who is in Year 5.
“Then in two years’ time I’ll be taking my grandson who’ll be in Year 6. And further down the track if I’m capable I’ll take the next one. I’ll go every time there’s a trip!” she said, adding that the kids and adults got “so much” out of the trip.
“You do a lot of things astronauts would do. Dress up in flight suits, learn how they work on a space station or in mission control, you [virtually] take off and land on the moon basically,” she said.
“It’s like adventure-teering, learning to trust the people in your team and learning to trust the people with you, and also working together to solve problems.”
A full scholarship has been donated to One Giant Leap Australia Foundation by Windsor RSL. The duo have partnered with this newspaper to send one lucky Hawkesbury student to this year’s Space Camp.
The competition is open to all Hawkesbury LGA high school students in years 7 to 10. The trip is valued at $6800 and includes all transport, meals, accommodation, transfers, entry fees, and Space Camp costs.
The competition closes on July 12. Entrants are required to fill out the entry form which can be found along with terms and conditions, competition details and an itinerary, at http://www.windsorrsl.com.au/spacecamp.
Sarah Falson
Daily Liberal journalist. I love telling people's stories. Get in touch at sarah.falson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Daily Liberal journalist. I love telling people's stories. Get in touch at sarah.falson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
