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Sending HOPES to the Moon

Posted by Lori Blantz on Feb 9, 2021 8:00:00 AM

 Please do not hesitate to reach out to your ECSES IT and STEM coaches via email at esces-it@iu13.org 

Hopes to the Moon

Do we have something to share with you. This is soooooo cool! Penn State Outreach is sponsoring a great opportunity for students. The Readiness Institute at Penn State, in collaboration with Global Moonshots in Education, is collecting messages of hope from students, educators, and members of the global community and then sending those messages to the moon to create a lasting reminder that the hopes of today can become the reality of tomorrow.

Once your hope has been sent to the moon, every time you look into the night sky, you’ll be reminded of what it is that you’re hoping for and how your actions can contribute to the greater good of community and future readiness.

The initial due date was January 22, 2021, but that date has been extended to March 1, 2021. The Penn State Outreach will be collecting hopes using an online form. These hopes will then be saved on an SD card, which will be placed in a durable storage capsule that has been created for space travel. In 2021, this capsule will be delivered to the moon’s surface on the Peregrine Lunar Lander, built by Astrobotic Technology, Inc., a space robotics company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Resources for Teachers (Please just know the date of Jan 22, 2021 is still listed on some pages, but I have a confirmation email that March 1, 2021 is the due date.)

Teachers, we’ve made it easy for you to bring the Hope Moonshot into your face-to-face or virtual classrooms. Download a lesson plan (pdf, 540KB) with an information outline, video, and discussion prompts, as well as a brief presentation deck (PowerPoint, 9MB) to share with your students. Thank you for helping your students send their hopes to the moon! Click on the image below for a video of HOPE. 

Join the Hope Moonshot

Submit your hope by March 1, 2021, then bookmark this page and check back regularly for:

  • mission updates from Astrobotic
  • information about the virtual launch party in 2021
  • mission images and videos from Astrobotic
  • a printable certificate commemorating your participation


Look on the right hand side of this Blog post for our next prize give-a-way. Could it be you? SECs or Program Designee will be nominating staff or classes each month and the winner or winners will be randomly selected using Wheel of Names featured in last week’s Blog. Good Luck! 

Topics: STEM

Blog Contest:

Want to win in our monthly Blog Contest drawing? It’s easy! Just share a photo of your students diving into a STEM lesson from our resource library or our NEW Computer Science Resource. This year's prize will be your choice of an innovative game or activity for your classroom and an implementation guide.

IMPORTANT: Make sure your students have visual release permissions before submitting their photos.

Ready to inspire and win? Let’s see those amazing moments in action!

Contest Submission Form

 “THANK YOU!” for all you do for our students at IU13.👍

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ECSES Instructional Technology News  is an IU13 Early Childhood and Special Education Services (ECSES) blog providing support to educators using instructional technology in ECSES classrooms. The team of Lori Blantz (supervisor), Giovanna Chamberlian (Special Education Consultant), and Andrea Fellows (STEM Teacher) create the blogs.  Contact any team member at ecses-it@iu13.org 

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