Students in central Illinois experience space through a simulate course

Posted on February 16, 2022

Thanks to a grant from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin company, students in central Illinois can experience space through simulated space missions. (Photo courtesy: Heartland Community College/Facebook)

By Blake Haas

NORMAL – Thanks to a grant from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin company, students in central Illinois can experience what space is like through simulated space missions.

The $5,000 grant funding covers nine in-person classes, and the Challenger Learning Center (CLC) general scholarship fund will round out the effort by funding an additional course.

“It’s fortunate to have a local CLC with a great reputation that benefits all in our community,” said Dr. Julia Ossler, Associate Director at Heartland’s CLC. “Because we have some other great support for rural schools, in total we will be providing for 60 students from each junior high in Unit 5 and District 87 to share the availability of this targeted funding for unique hands-on STEM education to local schools this spring and summer.”

According to a news release, the grant from Blue Origin’s Club for the Future foundation provides support for rural schools across the country.

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].

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