Her summer will involve
work at mission control

Thirteen-year-old Amrita Seehra's summer vacation plans include working on a Challenger mission control desk. Well, it's not THE mission control in Houston but it's the next best thing.

She will get hands-on experience at the NASA-designed "Return to the Moon" Challenger Center in Kansas City. That's part of a two-week Advanced Space Academy sponsored by the Gifted Resource Council.

Her academy is one of 10 exciting GRC sessions available for kids this summer. Amrita's session is the most advanced of four space academy programs. In addition, there are academies in math, ecology and ancient history.

For information concerning the GRC and its programs, log on to www.cybam.com/grc.

The 8th grader from Mary Institute-Country Day (MICD) School already has had mission control experience at the Challenger center in Kansas City.

During her trip last summer, she worked on several different departments. She got experience in the medical, communication and radioactive materials units.

She also tried her hand at the simulated launch and navigation of the space shuttle.

"I had so much fun I'm taking the advance space academy for the third time," she said.

In addition to the flying trip to Kansas City, the advanced space academy includes work on other space projects. Amrita said her first summer her team developed parts of a proposed space station.

Last summer, she worked on making a pen that could be an all-purpose communicator.

Amrita said science is her favorite subject in school and she hopes for a career in medicine.

Thirteen-year-old Jacob Ohlemiller has been attending GRC academies for eight years.

Last year, he was in the space academy group that went to Kansas City. But, this year, he's decided to take an Ancient Academy course, "Middle Ages: From Castle to Village."

The Ladue Middle School 8th grader said he enjoyed flying to Kansas City in an airplane. He also liked working as a team member in the mission control center.

He also remembered "talking too loud" into his microphone. "They told me, 'Hold your face away from the mike; you're talking too loud," he said.

Jacob isn't planning a career in science. He wants to be a professional musician. He plays both the piano and the trumpet.

Asked if he thought he could make a living in music, he said, "I worry about that day and night." He said, if money were a big objective in his life, "I'd go into science."

Fifteen-year-old David Caldwell is too old to be a regular participant in the GRC academies this summer. However, he may get a chance to be a volunteer assistant in one of the academies for 1st and 2nd grade kids.

David is finishing his freshman year at Saint Louis University High School. He's a football player and finished his freshman wrestling season undefeated.

He took the Kansas City trip earlier and also participated in a trip to a South American rain forest with a GRC group.

Concerning the Kansas City trip, David said, "It was interesting to see how careful you have to be with something like space travel." He remembered he got to work in an isolation chamber where the students were analyzing moon rocks.

He said the trip was "the most interesting science experience I've every had."

David said math and science are his favorite subjects. He wants a career in computers.

The GRC academies will be held in two-week periods. The first ones are June 17-28. Then there are academies from July 1-12 and July 15-26.

Although the academies involve fees, there are some scholarships available for kids from low-income families. Those scholarships must be arranged ahead of time.

For information, you can call (314) 842-0666.

During the school year, GRC also sponsors Learning Labs on Saturdays and friendly competition during Academic Challenge. The GRC is in its 19th year.