Higher Orbits
Michelle Lucas
(281)451-5343
michelle@higherorbits.org
Higher Orbits Go For Launch! Space-Inspired STEM Event Counting Down To Land In Columbus, OH For The First Time Next Month
Higher Orbits Galactic HQ – March 21, 2025 – Higher Orbits is bringing its flagship program, Go For Launch! to Columbus, OH at The Ohio State University to help inspire students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Students in grades 8-12 will participate in STEM and space-based group
activities that are designed to help them develop critical skills needed for success in their future careers.
activities that are designed to help them develop critical skills needed for success in their future careers.
On April 5-6, students will have the opportunity to work with an Astronaut and other aerospace professionals as they design a spaceflight experiment that could fly to the International Space Station. This unique opportunity offers students the chance to learn through mentorship and in group settings.
Retired NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence will be the featured Astronaut at this event. Lawrence flew as Mission Specialist on four Space Shuttle missions for NASA and believes mentorship and working with students is part of what makes these opportunities so rewarding.
"I always look forward to participating in a Go For Launch! event. To me, this program is what STEM education should be - an opportunity for students to take what they are learning in their science, technology, engineering and math classes and apply this knowledge to challenges outside of their classrooms. During their events, the ideas the students come up with never cease to amaze me," shares Lawrence.
Go For Launch! is the hands-on flagship program of Higher Orbits, a non-profit that aims to encourage students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The program is designed for students of all backgrounds—from the STEM novice to the more experienced—with the hopes of helping ALL students gain the skills and confidence necessary to enter the workforce as the STEMists and Explorers of the future. To date, this program has been conducted 83 times in 21 states resulting in 20 student experiments being sent to space already with 4 more launching soon.
The students work with industry professionals on teamwork, communication, research design, and leadership skills. While focusing on spaceflight, Go For Launch! students have the chance to work alongside a featured astronaut at each event to learn and develop important skills that can be applied in any professional field.
This event is made possible in part thanks to partnership with Engineers Without Borders (EWB) at The Ohio State University, a student chapter of the international organization. “I believe that the work Michelle and Higher Orbits is doing to promote stem education is crucial. Having the opportunity to work with her on something as
impactful as Go For Launch! has been a great learning experience. I am looking forward to seeing what the students can come up with!” shares Carson Nietert, EWB Local Project Lead and aerospace engineering major at Ohio State.
impactful as Go For Launch! has been a great learning experience. I am looking forward to seeing what the students can come up with!” shares Carson Nietert, EWB Local Project Lead and aerospace engineering major at Ohio State.
Go For Launch! participants not only have access to incredible mentors, they also have the opportunity to compete to design an experiment that could fly to the International Space Station.
One hard working team will be selected as the winners of the Go For Launch! Columbus event. Their team's experiment will then further compete against winning experiments selected from other Higher Orbits 2025 series events that are scheduled, which includes events in Colorado, Cape Canaveral, FL and Mars, PA, among others. Space Tango, a Higher Orbits partner, will then build the overall winner's experiment, which will launch on a future cargo mission to the International Space Station.
“I am so excited to bring Go For Launch! to Columbus for the first time. As a girl who grew up in the Midwest and fell in love with space as a child but had limited options near to me to foster that passion, I am thrilled that we can bring space to students in this area,” said Michelle Lucas, Founder and CEO of Higher Orbits. "We run this program across the country, offering students the opportunity to find space right in their “back yard” and understand that there is a place in STEM and Space for them. We're trying to show them that being a geeky kid who loves space and science is not only cool, it opens doors.
Go For Launch! Columbus is open to students in grades 8-12 from anywhere, and is not restricted to only those residing in Ohio. Running April 5-6, 2025, Go For Launch! Columbus will be held at The Ohio State University. Interested students can register online at www.GoForLaunch.space. Financial aid is available to students who need assistance with the registration fee to attend this event.
Go For Launch! Columbus is presented in partnership with Engineers Without Borders at The Ohio State University, is supported by the Ohio Space Grant Consortium, and generously supported by the following sponsors:
- Pluto Pioneers: The Ohio State University College of Engineering
o William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE)
o Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)
o Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (FABE)
o Department of Integrated Systems Engineering (ISE)
o Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE)
o Aerospace Research Center (ARC)
o Center for Aviation Studies (CAS) - Lunar Rovers: The Columbus Region, AEP Ohio
- Go For Lunch!: Wings Over, Dewey’s Pizza
- Earth Orbit Club: Worthington Enterprises, Magnetic Springs, The Original Goodie Shop, Crumbl
- Intergalactic Voyagers: A-B Emblem, Space Shirts, Space Tango, Uniphi Space Agency
All Go For Launch! events are supported by the Higher Orbits EASE Space Coalition (Ensuring Access to STEM Education through Space) which is supported by Burns & McDonnell. Higher Orbits is truly honored to work with many communities, companies, and individuals. It's through these partnerships that the organization is able to inspire the next generation of STEMists and explorers—the future workforce of our country.
About Higher Orbits
Founded in 2015, Higher Orbits is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization creating an experiential learning lab for secondary school students across the United States, focused on the multi-faceted worlds of space exploration, research, and spaceflight in order to launch the next generation workforce our world desires. www.higherorbits.org
Founded in 2015, Higher Orbits is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization creating an experiential learning lab for secondary school students across the United States, focused on the multi-faceted worlds of space exploration, research, and spaceflight in order to launch the next generation workforce our world desires. www.higherorbits.org
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