CK Junior Selected to Join “Back to Space” Ambassador Program

Blum, along with 24 other students in grades 8 through 12, has been selected as the first group of student ambassadors through the Back to Space (BTS) program. Their mission is the promotion of space exploration and STEM concepts within popular culture in order to create awareness and excitement about both concepts amongst their peers and communities.

 

Danielle Roosa, granddaughter of Apollo 14 astronaut Stuart Roosa, created BTS as a way of igniting students’ passion for STEM and space concepts. As the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 7 mission approaches, Roosa hopes that this program will preserve the legacy of this historic event and the astronauts who accomplished it; inspire young people to explore the past, present, and future of spaceflight; and create a deeper sense of commitment to STEM education across the country. “We aim to bring the accomplishments of these American heroes, starting with the Apollo astronauts, into the foreground of pop culture,” Roosa stated. “And our Student Ambassadors will do just that--empower and inspire their friends and schools with the fascination of STEM and space exploration.”

Rebecca’s passion for this mission has already started. She created the “Beyond Earth” club in 2017, which promotes the application of STEM skills to space exploration. She also assists the facilitation of a space enrichment program at a local elementary school, which helps to get younger students interested in space exploration. She has given presentations at the Warren Astronomical Society, describing her experiences visiting the Kennedy Space Center and her five years of participation in Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. Her plan is to attend PoSSUM Space Academy at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University next year.

In celebration of the launch of this program and its student ambassadors, BTS will be hosting a gala event at the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas on October 19—the date of the historical Apollo 7 mission which took place 50 years ago. We wish Rebecca lots of luck during her time in the program and congratulate her on this exciting accomplishment!

For more information about the BTS program and Rebecca’s involvement, click here to read the story on The Oakland Press.