The Paul George Foundation, in partnership with the Los Angeles Brotherhood Crusade and Social Justice Learning Institute, sent eight students and two chaperones to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama.
The selected students, aka “PG-13 Space Crew,” blasted off on June 11, and enjoyed an unforgettable journey through space and time at the Advanced Space Academy. Also, Space Camp celebrated its 40th Anniversary on June 12, with the PG 13 Space Crew sharing in all of the anniversary celebrations.
The weeklong adventure was not only about space and space study, but also included lessons on racial justice and racial equality and the legacy of racism that was prevalent in Alabama.
The PG 13 astronauts received a private tour through historic Alabama, visiting the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Weaver-Bolden Library in Tuscaloosa and walking across the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma to Montgomery. Saliently, the PG13 Space Crew conducted “healing” dialogue and honor circles at each location.
Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers forward, grew up in Palmdale, California, and is proud of the city’s reputation as the “Aerospace Capital of the United States.” The Paul George Foundation
is dedicated to encouraging students to participate in STEM initiatives and pursue STEM
careers.
Offering lifetime experiences for students such as Space Camp allows students
to share George’s inspirational philosophy – “Don’t tell me the sky’s the limit when there are footprints on the moon.”
He explained, “I always wanted to be in the NBA. That’s the sky. Now that I
am an All-Star and working to become a champion – for me, that’s the footprints on the
moon.”
According to Space Camp official records, Paul George is the first NBA player to provide
scholarships for students to attend Space Camp since its inception in 1982. The Paul
George Foundation sent 16 students from Palmdale to Space Camp in 2021 and
- To date, the foundation has sent 40 students to Space Camp.
Brotherhood Crusade President Charisse Bremond-Weaver stated, “We cannot thank Paul George and the work of the Paul George Foundation enough for supporting our kids and providing for them the experience of a lifetime.”
The eight students and two chaperones flew from Los Angeles to Huntsville, Alabama and participated in classes and programs at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Space Camp activities are conducted at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, the Official Visitor Center for the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
It is the original and only Space Camp in the world. The program has graduated more than one million trainees from all 50 states and 150 international locations.
Advanced Space Academy explores college and career preparation through an immersive
experience in science, engineering, technology, and math. Trainees experience various
astronaut training exercises, engineering challenges, and team-building activities
culminating in an extended duration simulated space mission.
