Higher Orbits
Whitney Zatzkin
whitney@higherorbits.org
Higher Orbits selected to receive $1 million from Blue Origin’s Club for the Future
Leesburg, Virginia — July 14, 2021 — Today, Higher Orbits was selected to receive a $1 million grant from Blue Origin’s Club for the Future. This generous donation will allow Higher Orbits to build a science-focused generation, inspired by space through its Go For Launch! and Space at Home programs.
“Our recent auction for the first seat on New Shepard resulted in a donation of $28 million to our non-profit foundation, Club for the Future,” said Bob Smith, Blue Origin CEO. “This donation is enabling Club for the Future to rapidly expand its reach by partnering with 19 organizations to develop and inspire the next generation of space professionals. Our generation will build the road to space and these efforts will ensure the next generation is ready to go even further.”
“Today, Higher Orbits commits to building the science-focused generation our world needs,” said Michelle Lucas, Founder and President of Higher Orbits. “This support from Club for the Future will bring Go For Launch!, and the opportunity for student-led research to be flown in space, to hometowns across the United States. Space inspires, and we are inspired to bring Higher Orbits to your youth.”
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 build the science-focused generation our world desires.
Go For Launch! delivers a multi-day, in-person, truly out-of-this-world experience to 8th-12th grade students leveraging spaceflight and space exploration as the launchpad for students to develop and strengthen their skills in STEM, teamwork, communication, research design, and leadership. GFL! students work side-by-side with an astronaut for the entire event – learning, growing, and developing the life-long skills that create a successful, meaningful future.
Space at Home students receive space mail from Higher Orbits, a customized kit of supplies and space swag necessary to embark on a curated quarterly program around a key aspect of space exploration and space flight. From the rigorous science and the historical significance of designing an effective space program patch to the macro-exploration of rocket engineering and testing, Space at Home participants delve into advanced discussions with the world’s leaders in each topic -- from the comfort of home!
About Club for the Future
Founded by Blue Origin in 2019, Club for the Future is a nonprofit foundation whose mission is to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEM and to help invent the future of life in space. The Club and its collaborators are doing this through Postcards to Space, space-focused curriculum, and access to space on Blue Origin’s rockets. For more information visit, ClubforFuture.org.
About Blue Origin
Blue Origin was founded by Jeff Bezos with the vision of enabling a future where millions of people are living and working in space to benefit Earth. To preserve Earth, Blue Origin believes that humanity will need to expand, explore, find new energy and material resources, and move industries that stress Earth into space. On July 20, Blue Origin will fly its first astronaut crew on board New Shepard to space and back. To watch the launch live on July 20 or sign up for updates visit BlueOrigin.com.
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