Purpose
The Spirit of Education travels
to schools throughout the Midwest from its launch pad
in Mosinee, Wisconsin. Its mission; motivate
children in the elementary grades to learn. Hands-on learning is the key to the success of the program. (Work stations on board)
The curriculum was developed primarily for 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students. Special arrangements can be made for younger students to tour the shuttle.
Older students may benefit from the shuttle experience by performing tasks developed by their classroom teachers in conjunction with the more advanced activities on the shuttle.
Here are some questions and answers pertaining to the Dream Flight USA shuttle and its mission.
Q. How many students are on the shuttle during a typical class?
A. Up to 20. Beyond 6th graders, where students are larger, the number of students on board will be between 14 and 16. Room on board is at a premium.
Q. What do the students do on board the shuttle during classes?
A. There are a series of hands-on work stations on board. The students, working in pairs, move from one station to the next every 15 to 20 minutes.
Q. How long do students remain on board the shuttle?
A. From one to two hours.
Q. Do we ever receive complaints from the students?
A. Just one. When their time on board has expired, they don’t want to leave the shuttle.
Q. Who owns and operates the Spirit of Education shuttle?
A. The shuttle is owned and operated by the Dream Flight USA Foundation, a 501 C3 private foundation.
Q. What is the purpose of the foundation?
A. The mission of the foundation is to motivate students in the upper elementary grades to learn. The mission is accomplished using space, aviation, science, and hands-on learning.
Q. How long has the foundation existed?
A. The foundation was formed in 2003, and the first mission of the Spirit of Education occurred in June, 2006.
Q. How is the shuttle program funded?
A. The foundation relies on donations, sponsorships, and charges fees to schools and other organizations utilizing the shuttle.
Q. Other than schools, where else does the shuttle travel?
A. The Spirit of Education appears in parades around the state, airport fly-ins, education conventions, and for the third year in a row in 2011, at the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh.
The Dream Flight USA Foundation and curriculum were developed by Sharon Ryan, a fifth grade teacher at John Marshall School in the Wausau, WI school district. Mrs. Ryan, a Presidential Award recipient, developed a similar program in the school district which served students for ten years.
To schedule a mission, please email us at dream@dreamflightusa.com, or call 715-845-6392.
