Our Mission Has Just Begun…
In 2014 the 650,000+ alumni of the Space Camp and Aviation Challenge programs took a significant step forward in ensuring a bright future for current and future program trainees and also establishing a forum to connect with each other: we formed the Alumni Advancement Board. Chartered with creating ways for alumni to give back to the Camp programs, alums have already contributed more than 750 hours and over $55,000 to Camp scholarships; outreach events such as Oshkosh AirVenture, Beirgarten, F-16 ‘RedTail’ Restoration Weekends, & Alumni Weekend; and, of course, the first project for the Space Camp Alumni Board, the Land the STA N945NA Project. I’m amazed by the many Space Camp and Aviation Challenge Alumni we encountered this year who so passionately want to spread the good word about Camp and the impact it had on their lives and careers. The enthusiasm and energy they carry outside our own community to anyone and everyone who will lend an ear is a mighty force helping grow the opportunities for youth and adults attending camp and our own alumni ranks! Regarding connecting to other alumni and camp; the Alumni Advancement Board has established a set of online channels, to form the early framework of a true Alumni Association. We look to build upon this foundation to ensure scale, sustainability, and impact of the community to endow a legacy of outreach, volunteerism, and philanthropy for years to come. Our 2015 portfolio of initiatives and events is burgeoning: including a Scholarship Campaign, continued aircraft/artifact restoration programs, and planning an exciting and reimagined Alumni Reunion Weekend in July. We’re kicking off 2015 with a renewed call for volunteers to support this ambitious portfolio. To find out more about these efforts and lend a hand, click here. It’s an exciting time. As we dawn on a new age of human spaceflight and exploration, Camp is evolving in step with those changes. As the Space Camp Alumni community, we have the opportunity to trumpet the importance of STEM experiences for innovation and exploration and to endow and enhance the programs for the next generation of explorers as Space Camp inspires trainees to pursue their dreams. Join us this year to deepen your Space Camp adventure – it’s clear ‘our mission has just begun’. Ad Astra Per Alas Fideles, (‘To the Stars on the Wings of the Faithful Ones’) John John Ramsey Chairman Space Camp Alumni Advancement Board 