Students from St Norbert College have this month travelled to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Advanced Space Academy, where they will train as part of a 16-day science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) tour in the USA.
The 28 students are accompanied by three teachers and will spend time in Alabama, Florida and California.
It is the first time a group of students from St Norbert College have embarked on an overseas STEM tour, and the school’s Head of Mathematics, Bridget Murphy, said everyone involved was genuinely excited.
“The preparation for this trip began about three years ago when we asked the then Year 7, 8 and 9 students if they would like to go to NASA,” she said.
“After a lot of hard work, fundraising and many hours of preparation, we are finally ready for launch.”
The key feature of the tour will be five days of training at NASA’s Advanced Space Academy, where the students will learn about space history, undergo a variety of astronaut training, and take part in simulated space missions.
The tour will also include visits to Universal Studios and the Kennedy Space Centre, as well as the opportunity for students to experience flying in an indoor wind tunnel.
The group will spend Easter in the USA and will return on April 19.