From Warsaw to Huntsville: Polish teens embark on an all-expenses-paid astronaut training adventure at Space Camp, thanks to the Endeavour Scholarship! Learn about their journey and ignite your own STEM spark.
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| The Endeavour Scholarship opens doors for Polish students to experience astronaut training at Space Camp. Image: POLSA |
Four Polish high school students and an educator have been named the first-ever Polish recipients of the Astronaut Al Worden Endeavour Scholarship.
This scholarship awards an all-expenses-paid trip to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, for a week-long, hands-on astronaut training experience.
The announcement came at the end of a day-long competition held at the Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw on January 15th. The competition coincided with the 52nd anniversary of Apollo 15 "Endeavour" Pilot Al Worden's visit to Warsaw in 1972.
A record 2,000 applications were downloaded for the program, with 20 finalists competing for the top honors. The finalists were selected from nearly 200 applicants.
The Polish Space Agency (POLSA) and Targi Kielce, Poland's leading trade event organizer, hosted the finals in partnership with Kallman Worldwide, the founder of the Endeavour Scholarship.
The program honors Al Worden, who served as Kallman's STEM ambassador at trade shows around the world from 2015 until his death in 2020.
Worden was a strong advocate for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.
The four student members of Endeavour Mission Team #14 Poland are Tobiasz Dabrowski, Zuzanna Kassner, Benjamin Kopiec, and Aleksandra Skrocka. Their educator is Anna Bukiewicz-Szul.
They join the ranks of 48 students and 12 educators from eight other countries who have received the Endeavour Scholarship.
"The national enthusiasm for Endeavour in Poland is deeply gratifying and exemplifies the spirit of partnership that fuels this program," said Tom Kallman, President & CEO of Kallman Worldwide. "Every country we work in is facing the same challenges to prepare its young people for the future. Many also see that future in space. The Endeavour Scholarship connects with worldwide interest in space to promote STEM careers on Earth."
Officials noted that Endeavour honors Poland's history and culture of discovery, and celebrates its continuing leadership in STEM education and innovation.
"As champions for the STEM-driven economy on Earth and beyond, we are proud to present the Endeavour Scholarship in the name of our friend, astronaut Al Worden, to launch the crew of Mission Team #14 as ambassadors of our country's future workforce," said Dr. Andrzej Mochoń, President of Targi Kielce. "They are going to Space Camp, and we will all benefit from what they learn and experience there."
The Endeavour Scholarship is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides all-expenses-paid trips to Space Camp for students around the world.
The program is funded through the generosity of organizations and individuals who share a passion for inspiring young people to pursue careers in STEM.