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OUT OF THIS WORLD:
YOUTH REACH FOR THE STARS |
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Have you ever wanted to float
in zero gravity or learn how to fly a space shuttle? During the summer
months, kids attending the Boys & Girls Club Youth Center on Sembach
Air Base in Germany vie for the chance to experience those exciting
activities.
It’s called Space Camp, and it gives youth ages 10-15 who are
interested in science and space travel the opportunity to train on
the same simulators that astronauts use. This special program takes
place at the Euro Space Center in Belgium.
“Our summer camp brings hundreds of military kids together to
have fun and exciting adventures,” said Mandy Smith-Nethercott,
chief of marketing for Sembach Air Base’s Youth Aid Services.
“It reminds them that they are part of a larger community they
can count on.”
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Kids train on such equipment as the moonwalk chair, the rotating chair
and the micro-gravity chamber. This prepares them for the more difficult
task of operating the space shuttle simulator.
For the young astronauts-to-be, the best is yet to come. After completing
the simulator exercises, the kids climb on board a full-scale mock-up
of the space shuttle to learn how it feels to work and live in space
as a real crew.
“The camp taught us how to work together as a team,” said
Andrew, age 14. “We made friends and learned to trust one another.”
All year round, Clubs on U.S. military bases around the world provide
young people with stability and comfort. The Sembach Youth Center
is one of 355 Clubs that support the children of American military
personnel.
In the wake of recent events, life is more stressful for American
youth living on overseas military bases.
“The kids are seeing their parents traveling for longer stretches
of time,” said Smith-Nethercott. “Some parents are even
flying off to Afghanistan.”
Even so, she said, “The kids are determined to be strong for
their parents because they believe their parents are making a positive
contribution to the world.”
She added that, “The activities provided by the Youth Center
help the kids keep a positive attitude.”
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