Space Programs and Challenges
Blue Origin Club for the Future
You can send a postcard to space with Blue Origin’s Club for the Future! You will design the postcard and mail it, it will be sent to space in the Blue Origin Shepard rocket, and it will be mailed back to you with the stamp “Flown to Space”.
European Space Agency (ESA) Expedition: Home
Expedition: Home is an ESA initiative to promote youth involvement in space. They offer hands-on space activities and programs for three age groups, the oldest being 12-18 years old. You can dabble with some programming, try your hand at engineering projects, or join space projects such as Moon Camp @home!
Museum of Flight Programs
The Museum of Flight offers a variety of programs for youth of all age ranges on their Explore Programs page. One of their most notable programs for high school sophomores and juniors is called Western Aerospace Scholars, which is open to residents in Washington, Montana, and Oregon. This program includes a six month online course on Space and Space Travel throughout the year, and upon successful completion of the course, a week-long summer residency. Highly recommended for students interested in space and engineering.
NASA Contests and Challenges
NASA offers a wide range of engagement opportunities for youth. One option is to Send Your Name to Mars with the Perseverance Rover. In addition, for the NASA Spotlight Design Challenge, you and your team can produce a NASA Spotlight Video which targets a science misconception, and it will be posted on NASA’s eClips website for educational purposes. NASA has a programming challenge for middle and high schoolers as well. The App Development Challenge asks participants to code an app that can visualize the South Pole region of the Moon using lunar terrain data. Visit the NASA STEM Engagement page for more information on NASA activities for youth. In addition to these programs, NASA hosts an annual Space Apps Challenge, which brings students together from around the world to tackle challenges using NASA’s open source data.
USA Astronomy and Astrophysics Organization (USAAAO)
USAAAO aims to prepare students in the United States for the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA), and once a USA team for IOAA is selected based on the results of the National Astronomy Competition, these students are given free online training to prepare for the international competition. Their website provides resources to study for the competitions as well, from free online platforms to low-cost textbooks.