by Neil Richard
Four young ladies in 5th Grade at King George Elementary School applied to win a scholarship to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. Abigail (Abby is okay too) was the lucky recipient of the award sponsored by local residents Mark and Shari Bradshaw.
The Bradshaws created the Broadwood Space Camp Scholarship Award in an effort to promote interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) in elementary school girls because of their own daughter's experience. As a student at King George Elementary School (KGES), the Bradshaw's daughter loved topics related to STEM, especially those related to space and NASA. As their daughter moved through the Middle School, peer pressure began to mount against STEM because it "wasn't cool for girls." In an attempt to show her how cool it really was, they sent her to Space Camp. The intervention worked and she now has two engineering degrees from the University of Maryland and works for NASA.
In an effort to give back to the community and in an effort to replicate the results in other young girls, the Bradshaws created a scholarship program to send a student to Space Camp during the summer between her 5th and 6th grade school years. The scholarship covers tuition to Space Camp along with round trip airfare from Richmond to Huntsville. In listening to the Bradshaws explain some of the details to Abigail's parents, it boiled down to their sole responsibility was to get her to the airport.
During the awards ceremony, the Bradshaws gave each applicant an embroidered bag, books, and trading cards while the winner also got playing cards, a scarf, and, of course, a trip to Space Camp. The Bradshaws said it was a really hard process for the applicants, not because they wanted to be mean but because they wanted to ensure the winner really wanted to be there. They said that completing the application was an achievement in itself and thanked everyone involved in making it happen.
Shari Bradshaw emphasized many aspects of the Space Camp experience during her presentation. She said that at least ten astronauts and two cosmonauts have been through Space Camp. She also shared that one of the turning points for their family was watching the movie Space Camp and learning at the end of the credits that there really was a Space Camp. The Bradshaws said that although the scholarship is for girls, there is a general scholarship program open to everyone interested.
The Bradshaws are hopeful that the program will be successful enough to expand to Potomac and Sealston Elementary Schools in the future. Abigail and the Bradshaws are expected to be honored at the next School Board meeting.
Four young ladies in 5th Grade at King George Elementary School applied to win a scholarship to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. Abigail (Abby is okay too) was the lucky recipient of the award sponsored by local residents Mark and Shari Bradshaw.
The Bradshaws created the Broadwood Space Camp Scholarship Award in an effort to promote interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) in elementary school girls because of their own daughter's experience. As a student at King George Elementary School (KGES), the Bradshaw's daughter loved topics related to STEM, especially those related to space and NASA. As their daughter moved through the Middle School, peer pressure began to mount against STEM because it "wasn't cool for girls." In an attempt to show her how cool it really was, they sent her to Space Camp. The intervention worked and she now has two engineering degrees from the University of Maryland and works for NASA.
In an effort to give back to the community and in an effort to replicate the results in other young girls, the Bradshaws created a scholarship program to send a student to Space Camp during the summer between her 5th and 6th grade school years. The scholarship covers tuition to Space Camp along with round trip airfare from Richmond to Huntsville. In listening to the Bradshaws explain some of the details to Abigail's parents, it boiled down to their sole responsibility was to get her to the airport.
During the awards ceremony, the Bradshaws gave each applicant an embroidered bag, books, and trading cards while the winner also got playing cards, a scarf, and, of course, a trip to Space Camp. The Bradshaws said it was a really hard process for the applicants, not because they wanted to be mean but because they wanted to ensure the winner really wanted to be there. They said that completing the application was an achievement in itself and thanked everyone involved in making it happen.
Shari Bradshaw emphasized many aspects of the Space Camp experience during her presentation. She said that at least ten astronauts and two cosmonauts have been through Space Camp. She also shared that one of the turning points for their family was watching the movie Space Camp and learning at the end of the credits that there really was a Space Camp. The Bradshaws said that although the scholarship is for girls, there is a general scholarship program open to everyone interested.
The Bradshaws are hopeful that the program will be successful enough to expand to Potomac and Sealston Elementary Schools in the future. Abigail and the Bradshaws are expected to be honored at the next School Board meeting.
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