Young JH one of only 50 awarded a Moon Tree
Most everyone dreams of going to the moon one day. But if you can鈥檛 make it to the moon, maybe a from is the next best thing.听
At least that鈥檚 what Young Junior High principal Kirsten Lundin听believes.
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Earlier this month, the school’s eighth-grade community joined together to plant its own Moon Tree seedling. With , the seed traveled into lunar orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft spending four weeks in space before returning to Earth. 听
鈥淲e have a tree from outer space,鈥 Lundin said. 鈥淗ow many people can say that?鈥听
Through partnership with the , it flew five species of tree seeds aboard as part of a national STEM engagement and conservation education initiative. Museums, universities, federal agencies and K-12-serving organizations were invited to apply for ownership of a Moon Tree seedling. 听
That鈥檚 when art teacher Diedre Grimm and Young鈥檚 eighth grade science teachers decided to take the chance. 听
鈥淚t鈥檚 really exciting,鈥 Grimm said.听鈥淭o have this collaborative effort that everyone worked on together is so cool.鈥听
With over 1,300 applications, the school was one of only 50 awarded a seedling. 听
鈥淲e were one of the lucky ones,鈥 said Lundin. 鈥淎nd now we have a tree from outer space planted right here in front of our building.鈥听
The tree will serve as a living educational tool for students learning about Earth and space science as a part of the eighth grade curriculum. The school even plans to enhance the tree’s significance through its next kindness campaign where students will decorate rocks to place around the tree, fostering a sense of community.听
“We are super excited,” Lundin said. “It鈥檚 a unique opportunity to connect our students with the history of space exploration and the future possibilities that lie ahead.”听
Learn more about the history of . 听
