Space Camp 2018 was a fabulous Educational experience for all that attended, and I can’t speak highly enough of our students in the way they conducted themselves and got involved with all activities undertaken. On numerous occasions, people that we encountered commended our group on their maturity and behaviour which was so pleasing to hear. The mixing of JTC and CCC students was great, with genuine friendships being formed.

Space Camp is located in Huntsville Alabama where America’s Space Program was born and is the second largest research park in the United States of America. Students were immersed in group and team building activities whilst on Space Camp where they undergo various Astronaut training exercises and engineering challenges which culminate in an extended- duration simulated space mission, which was the highlight for many of the students.

Our itinerary of Space Camp, Washington and Orlando not only focused on STEM but STEAM- which catered for a wider variety of interests and experiences. Washington was a great addition to our itinerary and the highlight of the trip for me- even though we didn't get to see President Trump when we visited the White House!

The various Smithsonian’s we visited include: The Air and Space Museum, Natural History Museum, Holocaust Museum, the more recent Newseum and the Art Museum. Many hours were spent learning about history and appreciating natural wonder. The Monument Night Tour of Washington took us to some of the city’s most popular monuments and transported us back in time as we drove along the same streets the Presidents have travelled and heard historical tales and anecdotes about the city’s fascinating history.

• World War II Memorial

• Jefferson Memorial

• FDR Memorial

• Lincoln Memorial

• Vietnam Veterans Memorial

• Korean War Memorial

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Orlando was our final destination and home to the wonderful Kennedy Space Centre which houses the original Atlantis Shuttle- seeing this vessel takes your breath away… We were fortunate enough to go on a tour of the facilities and even got to go inside a Mission Control Room. We enjoyed a lunch with returned Astronaut Don Thomas who gave us an insight into food and nutrition whilst in space and showed us photos of some very unappetising food!!

Universal Studio’s was the last activity on our itinerary. This action packed 12 hour day begun at 8.30am with a real life educational physics experience- using iPads to calculate the velocity of the Riptide Rock-it Roller Coaster along various parts of the ride. Once calculations were done, it was time to get aboard the roller-coaster!! This ride wasn't for the faint hearted, and the screams of exhilaration could be heard from those on board. Students had a great day exploring Universal Studio’s and the Islands of Adventure- and got to experience the rides of Spiderman, The Hulk, The Mummy, Transformers, King Kong and many more.

The Space Camp Tour is an action packed, once in a lifetime opportunity that our students get to enjoy, and I would recommend it for any student with an interest in STEAM.

Yours Sincerely

Mrs Chanel Fenwick

Space Camp Coordinator