Michelle Lucas
Higher Orbits
281-451-5343
Higher Orbits Believes in Our Future Astronauts
Joins #GivingTuesdayNow in Global Day of Giving and Unity
and Celebrates National Astronaut Day
Planet Earth, May 1, 2020—During this unprecedented time, when students are facing so many changes and challenges including missing classes, Higher Orbits stands committed to providing all students access (once safe to do so) to their Go For Launch! Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) educational experience. Through your generous Giving Tuesday Now support, Higher Orbits will be able to provide Go For Launch! scholarships to students who are experiencing financial hardship due to the economic impact of the pandemic.
When people unite around a common cause, real and lasting change happens. What better change can there be than giving a student, our future workforce, the opportunity to realize their potential to solve world problems by working with astronauts and scientists to create projects bound for research in space?
In honor of National Astronaut Day, on May 5th Higher Orbits will be joining the groundbreaking global generosity movement, #GivingTuesdayNow. This new global day of giving and unity that will taking place on May 5, 2020 (in addition to the regularly scheduled #GivingTuesday on Dec 1, 2020) is an emergency response to the unprecedented humanitarian needs caused by COVID-19.The day is designed to drive an influx of generosity, citizen engagement, business and philanthropic activation, and support for communities and nonprofits around the world.
At a time when we are all experiencing challenges resulting from the pandemic, generosity is the common unifier that brings people of all races, faiths, and political views together across the globe. Generosity gives everyone power to make a positive change in the lives of others and is a fundamental value anyone can act on. Giving Tuesday Now is a day for everyone around the world to stand together, tap into the power of human connection, strengthen communities and give back in all ways, no matter who or where we are.
To bring together community and students of all ages while we stay home/stay safe, Higher Orbits will celebrate National Astronaut Day and #GivingTuesdayNow by hosting several virtual, community building activities. First, “Create a Family Mission Patch” will be live-streamed at 12:00PM Eastern on the Higher Orbits Facebook page. At 1pm, Higher Orbits Founder & Go For Launch! program director will be on The National Daily for a National Astronaut Day trivia contest. Then at 2:00PM Eastern, “Live Q&A with a NASA Astronaut”…join retired NASA Astronaut Greg H. Johnson and Higher Orbits Founder Michelle Lucas in a podcast hosted by National Day Calendar on all their Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram channels, where YOU can ask an astronaut a question.
Most importantly, Higher Orbits is committed to supporting our future workforce, our high-school students, on the other side of these challenging times. “We know there will be more financial challenges for families, so sponsor support and individual donations are more important than ever so we can offer scholarships or financial aid to those in need,” said Higher Orbits founder, Michelle Lucas. “We won’t run programs until it is safe to do so, but to be prepared we have to keep working to keep our “doors” open and program available. Should we need to change the dates of a program due to this constantly evolving situation, we will reschedule and not cancel. We are committed to supporting students. But we can’t do it alone. Now more than ever we need the generosity of our interconnected community to stand with us and support our mission to inspire, engage and equip our future workforce for success.”
People can show their generosity in a variety of ways during #GivingTuesdayNow, whether it’s giving to causes like Higher Orbits, helping a neighbor, advocating for an issue, or sharing a skill, every act of generosity counts. The global movement will emphasize opportunities to give back to communities and causes in safe ways that allow for social connection even while practicing physical distancing.
“As a global community, we can mourn this moment of extreme crisis while also finding the opportunity to support one another. We each have the power to make an impact with acts of generosity, no matter how small, and to ensure the sustainability of organizations and services that are crucial to the care and support of our communities,” said Asha Curran, CEO of GivingTuesday. “GivingTuesdayNow is a chance for us to stand united and use grassroots generosity to show that we are all in this together, beginning to end. Even as
many face financial uncertainty, generosity is not about size. From calling an elderly neighbor to chat to offering translation help; from showing gratitude to our healthcare workers to donating to your local food bank, every act of kindness is a beacon of hope in this crisis. We all have something to give, and every act of human consideration and kindness matters.”
Those interested in joining Higher Orbits’s #GivingTuesdayNow efforts can visit https://www.HigherOrbits.org
For more details about the GivingTuesday movement, visit the GivingTuesday website (www.givingtuesday.org), Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/GivingTuesday) or follow @GivingTuesday and #GivingTuesdayNow on Twitter. For youth interested in joining the movement, visit GivingTuesdayKids.org for inspiration and project ideas.
About Higher Orbits
Higher Orbits is a 501(c)3 non-profit that uses spaceflight to promote science, technology, engineering, art and math while strengthening leadership, teamwork, and communication skills. Higher Orbits conducts Go For Launch! and Go For Launch! Full STEAM Ahead events across the country and partners with companies and organizations to achieve educational goals that launch the next generation of scientists, researchers and creators. To learn more about 2020’s events and inspire the next generation of STEMists, STEAMists and explorers, visit HigherOrbits.org and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @HigherOrbits
About National Astronaut Day
In keeping with the tradition of other Astronaut and Space related celebrations, May 5th was selected for this significant date in history in 1961 when Astronaut Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. became the First American in Space, aboard the Freedom 7 Space capsule. The brief suborbital flight, which lasted approximately 15 minutes and reached a height of 116 miles into the atmosphere, was a milestone achievement. This trailblazing example of heroic bravery and adventurous spirit is this essence of what National Astronaut Day® is all about. For more information visit www.NationalAstronautDay.com
About GivingTuesday
GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past eight years, it has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.
Whether making someone smile, helping a neighbor or stranger out, showing up for an issue or people we care about, or giving some of what we have to those who need our help, every act of generosity counts and everyone has something to give. GivingTuesday strives to build a world in which the catalytic power of generosity is at the heart of the society we build together, unlocking dignity, opportunity and equity around the globe.
#GivingTuesdayNow is organized by GivingTuesday, in partnership with its global network of leaders, partners, communities and generous individuals. GivingTuesday is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.
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