Higher Orbits and UK START Program are Bringing Go For Launch! to Lexington

Higher Orbits Galactic HQ – June 19, 2023 – Higher Orbits will be bringing Go For Launch!  to Lexington at the University of Kentucky thanks to the stellar support of UK START.

“I am thrilled that Higher Orbits will be bringing this event to Lexington this year and partnering with the START Program! What an amazing opportunity for students to develop their ingenuity and important team-working skills, while having fun and getting to meet an astronaut,” said Luke Bradley, Director of UK START Program.

The hands-on flagship program of Higher Orbits spotlights the wonders of spaceflight and space exploration to provide students across the country the opportunity to develop and strengthen their skills in STEM, teamwork, communication, research design, and leadership. While focusing on spaceflight, Go For Launch! students work alongside a featured astronaut at each event to learn and develop important skills that can be applied in any professional field.

Go For Launch! Lexington is a part of Higher Orbits 2023 Series.

 “Space Inspires! Higher Orbits is thrilled to collaborate with UK START to bring this event to even more students. We are looking forward to an out of this world event with the students in Kentucky,” said Michelle Lucas, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Higher Orbits.

The Diversity and Inclusion Coalition of Arianespace, Avon Machining, Burns & McDonnell, Iridium, and organizational partners, OBAP play an appreciated and impactful role in Higher Orbits’ ability to work with students across the country.

Open to students grades 8 through 12, Go For Launch! Lexington will be held June 22-23, 2023 at the University of Kentucky, the host partner for this event. Interested students can register online at: https://higherorbits.org/go-for-launch/.

Financial aid is available to students who need assistance to be able to attend this event.

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

The University of Kentucky START program is a collaboration between UK colleges and local organizations to enhance the pipeline into college for first-generation and traditionally underrepresented students. The program focuses on introducing students early to science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers by integrating academic, social and professional experiences. Faculty and staff involved with the program offer outreach, hands-on experiences, training and activities in labs across campus and connect students with STEM professionals. Since its launch during the COVID-19 pandemic, the program has provided these opportunities to more than 2,000 students across Lexington school systems. The program is supported by a Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R25GM132961, and the content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.