To Infinity and Beyond: Tackett's Journey to Space Camp

Hello, my name is Melissa Tackett, and I am the other half of the infamous Kelly and Tackett dynamic space camp duo! My love for all things space started at an early age, when I first watched this outrageously awesome and terrible Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen straight to VCR movie: The Case of the U.S. Space Camp Mission.

Image source: here

In fact, I think it was when I was dancing and singing along to the song, "We're Gonna Leave Our Footprints on the Moon" that I first realized  that I desperately wanted to attend Space Camp. Maybe it was the awesome space jump suits. Perhaps it was the terribly off-key singing about being, "Born to follow in the footsteps of Apollo." Whatever the reason, I knew that Space Camp was my mission, and I knew I had to find a way to get there.

Sadly, I never made it to Space Camp as a kid, but once I became a 6th grade science teacher, I knew that I had to make my dream a reality. I then met Missy Kelly, a new gifted teacher in my building who shared my enthusiasm and passion to attend Space Camp. She and I both started researching scholarships and grants so that we could attend Space Camp together, and in the fall of 2011, we both applied for a scholarship to attend Space Camp in the summer of 2012. We crossed our fingers, sent in our essays, and awaited our results.

Sadly, we did not receive the scholarship, and neither of us could afford to attend Space Camp on our own. I had just gotten married and received my school district's District Teacher of the Year award, and was very busy starting my masters in Educational Technology. We both decided to give it a try again in the fall of 2012.

That fall, we both filled out our applications and essays again and crossed our fingers (again) that our Space Camp dreams would finally come true. We waited and waited, and finally, one afternoon, I received an email notification that made me squeal with glee:

Ahhh! I jumped up and down with excitement and started calling everyone I knew! Then, I started to panic. What if Missy didn't get in with me? We had to go to Space Camp together! I immediately picked up the phone and called her. We both had a out of the ordinary tone in our voices when we asked each other, "Did you get an email today?" When we both realized that we BOTH got in-our joy was uncontrollable!  We even realized that we could be roommates! What more could we ask for?

Ever since, we have been planning for the adventure of our lives. Our dreams of attending Space Camp have finally come true.

Space Camp has no idea what it's in for when Commanders Tackett and Kelly arrive in June...

Why do I love space? M. Kelly

A lot of people have asked me why do I want to go to space camp? Why do I love space so much? My first response is to just give them a dumbfounded look and say... because... why wouldn't you?! Then I force myself to think. Why do I like to learn and teach about space so much?

I have always been fascinated by the subject. The earliest 'space' experience I can remember is being in kindergarten and watching the Challenger launch in class. We did a lot of learning about space that year in a build up to that event. A teacher, Christa Mcauliffe, was going into space to teach kids around the world about the subject. You probably know how that story ends in tragedy, but I think it also had a positive effect on people. I know it did on me. I was mesmerized that a real person, a teacher, could go up into space. I loved learning about the planets and stars. It was fascinating thinking of all the what if questions about the subject.

In 6th grade, we built and launched rockets. We did all of this from things that you could find around the house. I remember being told that we were going to get to create and launch these objects. I couldn't wait to see how it worked and what made it fly. It was fun to design and then release our very own rocket! The day that we got to set them off was one of the most exciting, memorable days in elementary school. I remember hearing about space camp and thought it was a mystical place... but never knew it was something attainable to regular people.

When I went to college to be a teacher, I always enjoyed my science classes more than most others. The labs were the best part in making the learning come alive. You actually go to DO what you learned about. It made learning real and hands on. When I did my student teaching, I got to choose the curriculum I wanted to teach first and I choose space!


My first teaching experience in my own classroom on the subject of science was when I taught 2nd grade. I loved making my own students have these hands on experiences. We studied, observed, and made replicas of the phases of the moon and how/why we orbit the sun. One of my favorite days was when I pulled out the lamp, globe, and Styrofoam moons to show students why the moon looks the way it does from Earth's perspective. I loved watching my students faces and answering their questions about all things science! We had the best discussions during this subject.

Then I landed my dream job of being a gifted educator at the middle school level. I got to choose my units of study... hmmm. What do you think one of the first thing my kids studied was? Space! Now I had a NASA resource though. A fellow teacher told me about the local Challenger Learning Center. The had curriculum and mock missions to space! I was sold. We did Mission to Mars and learned all about the red planet. I couldn't believe this resource was right in my back yard.

I continued these missions when I came to my new elementary gifted position. The first year at my current school we did a mission about a comet at the Challenger Learning Center. We learned all about the international space station and rockets. We had a speaker tell us about satellites and their jobs in space. We also had a connection to someone who had actually traveled to space. You know, someone who knows someone who knows someone?! Thanks to an awesome parent, we set up a phone conference with 4 time space traveler, Commander Daniel Brandenstin! I think I was more excited than the students. We were going to talk to someone who had lived the dream of going into space. My students prepped their questions and studied his four missions. It was quite a learning experience for my students and I. Something I will never forget.

Now I get to look to the future and my current thoughts on the subject. I ask myself, as an individual, why does the subject intrigue me?

1. It puts us in perspective.
This video says it all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEheh1BH34Q
We are so small in comparison to what is out there. Anytime I think that I am this huge deal, I watch this video. Not so much!

2. It is endless.
The learning is endless. Space is endless. There is so much to learn that it could never end. And we are always learning new things about the subject. I like the fact that we could ALWAYS be learning something new! It is exciting.

3. It is mystical.
 It is mind boggling to think of the things we don't know. Your imagination could run wild. What will we know about space when my children are adults? I love the mystery and discovery of space exploration!

4. It is beautiful.

5. It brings out sense of exploration in us all.
The development of NASA and our space exploration was a truly brilliant idea. It brings us together as a nation. In my opinion, it brings out some of the best traits in humanity. Those of wanting to learn and work together towards a common goal of knowledge and understanding.

I can't wait to add my experience of Space Camp to the mix. I can't wait to teach my next space unit in this coming year. What will I bring back and be able to add to my space memories? How can I inspire my students to learn and love the subject that is so close to my heart? Hmm...  :)

How we got to space camp...

Hi there! I am one half of the Kelly & Tackett @ Space Camp Team. My name is Missy Kelly and I am an elementary gifted teacher and science enthusiast.  Melissa Tackett and I were former coworkers... that are now coworkers again! We taught together for three years and now she has just moved to my school for the new school year. We will once again be working together under the same roof! He he (insert devious laugh here)...

It has been almost 2 months since we first found out our Space Camp news. It is still a little surreal. I wanted to start out with the story of how we got to this point. 

When we worked together 4 years ago, we made a pact that we would go to space camp. It was over a discussion about teaching space that we found out that we both shared a dream to attend space camp since we were little. You know... the typical sciency discussion between two grown adults. But how could we make this happen? We had a problem to solve. So what did I do, I dug a little on the web and found out about Honeywell Educators @ Space Academy. 

I couldn't wait to tell Tackett. We could not only go to space camp, but we could get scholarships! So the next fall we both applied. I had started at a new school, but we were both still eligible. We found out in March that we didn't get in to camp. I was really sad and even looked into how much it would cost to just go on our own. Tackett had just gotten married and we both decided it wasn't feasible that year to pay. We were still determined to make this happen. I don't take no for an answer!

So... if at first you don't succeed then try, try again! I could practice what I preach to my students and persevere. The next fall rolled around and applications were due again. I put my heart and soul in that writing (and a little prayers!). Tackett and I would dream about what it would be like a space camp and how cool it would be to bring all that information back to our classes. Before we knew it, March rolled around. I was on spring break that week and I was home with my kids. My phone buzzed because I had gotten an email. I saw the notification that said 'Space Camp'. I held my breath. I opened the email and scanned it quickly...

Dear Melissa,

Congratulations! You have been selected to attend the 2013 Honeywell Educators @ Space Academy (HE@SA) program at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) in Huntsville, Ala.  We are thrilled to have you participate in this exciting educational program...

 All I saw was CONGRATULATIONS and I screamed!!!! My kids came running and asked what was wrong. I told them I was GOING TO SPACE CAMP!!! They weren't at all interested. They went back to what they were doing. What in the heck were they thinking? This was SPACE CAMP and I was going and they didn't even blink. I questioned myself as a parent and then decided I had to talk to someone who cared. So I called my husband, Ryan. He was really excited and couldn't believe it either. He said he would take care of everything at home for me that week. 

Then he asked, what about Tackett? My thought was what if she didn't get in and I did? I would feel so bad. We had to go together. So I told him I would call her and I did. She answered calmly with 'hello'. I said 'hello' in a way to calm for me voice. I asked her if she got an email lately and she asked the same thing back. This was not a normal tone for our conversations. We are loud and high energy. I couldn't hold it in and I blurted out that I got in and then she said SHE DID TOO! Then all things were chaotic once again. Jumping, screaming, running; it was the most amazing feeling. Something we had planned years ago was coming true. It was a long shot that we would both be accepted in the same year at the same time. But, this was REALLY happening! After we both calmed down a little, we talked. We knew several things...

1. Space Camp didn't know what it was in for with the two of us coming together...
2. It was going to be the educational experience of a lifetime...
3. We absolutely had to go shopping to prepare for this event!

So we have been planning and talking and screaming about it ever since. We plan to keep this blog updated prior to our experience, during and after. Since we will be teaching together once again, who knows what kind of space hijinks will be going on in our hallways next year?

I hope my kids will also read this when they are older and realize how AMAZING it is that their mom got to have this experience. :)

I still can't believe it...WE ARE GOING TO SPACE CAMP!