Space-Based STEM Program Marks 100th Event In Deerfield

DEERFIELD, IL — A space-based STEM education program that began in Deerfield is returning to the village for a major milestone.

Higher Orbits will host its 100th Go For Launch! event June 29-30 at Deerfield High School, marking a decade of programs designed to inspire students through space-based STEM education, leadership, teamwork and real-world problem-solving.

The milestone event will also be part of Higher Orbits’ 10th anniversary celebration.

The 100th Go For Launch! event will be held at the same location as the organization’s first program and will feature the same astronaut mentor, Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, who took part in the inaugural event.

“I believed in the mission of Go For Launch! from the very beginning because I saw how transformative it could be for students,” Metcalf-Lindenburger said. “To return now for the 100th event and see how many young people have been inspired, empowered, and connected to future opportunities through Higher Orbits is incredibly meaningful.”

Metcalf-Lindenburger said the students who participate in the program are “the innovators, explorers, and leaders who will shape the future of space and our world.”

According to NASA, Metcalf-Lindenburger is a retired NASA astronaut, educator and geologist, flew aboard space shuttle Discovery on a 2010 mission to the International Space Station. Before becoming an astronaut, she taught earth science and astronomy in Washington state, a background that has shaped her continued work with students and STEM education.

Since its founding, Higher Orbits’ Go For Launch! program has connected students directly with astronauts and space industry professionals while challenging them to collaborate on spaceflight-inspired missions and experiments.

Organizers said winners from the first Go For Launch! event at Deerfield High School in 2015 had their experiment sent to the International Space Station in 2017.

“Reaching our 100th Go For Launch! event is a powerful reminder of what happens when students are given access to opportunities, mentors, and experiences that help them see themselves in the future of space exploration,” Higher Orbits founder Michelle Lucas said.

Lucas said programs such as Go For Launch! are designed to help students build creativity, adaptability, communication and technical skills needed for future careers as the space industry continues to grow.

During the two-day program, students will work in teams to design scientific experiments with potential spaceflight applications while developing leadership and communication skills alongside veteran astronauts and aerospace experts.

Participants will also learn about career pathways connected to space exploration, including engineering, medicine, cybersecurity, manufacturing, communications, business and research.

Program highlights include hands-on STEM and mission-design challenges inspired by real spaceflight operations, direct mentorship from astronauts and aerospace professionals, and opportunities for students to build teamwork, leadership and presentation skills.

Registration is open to incoming eighth-grade through 12th-grade students. Event information is available through Higher Orbits.

Sponsorship opportunities are also available.

Go For Launch! is Higher Orbits’ flagship experiential education program. The nonprofit organization uses spaceflight-inspired challenges to engage students in STEM, leadership, teamwork and communication.