Photo courtesy of the Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Newark NJ, The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children (SFIC), a partner of the Archdiocese of Newark, recently gave six high school sophomores and juniors from archdiocesan schools the summer vacation of their dreams by providing them with scholarships to attend the prestigious Advanced Space Academy at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL.
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Each teen was selected through a highly competitive process in which applicants submitted their grades, a teacher recommendation, and two essays describing the significance of STEM in their lives and futures. Those chosen to attend the Space Academy enjoyed one week of high-level educational and teambuilding activities, which included building a rocket, flying jet aircraft simulators, and completing an extended-duration Mars mission simulation. They also got to experience a moonwalk using the 1/6th Gravity Chair and a spacecraft tumble in the Multi-Axis Trainer.
“If you have an interest in STEM, this is the best experience you could ask for because you basically get to be an astronaut,” said Jasmin Roman, SFIC’s director of scholarship programs. “You also learn how to work in teams and manage high-pressure situations, which are skills you can use beyond the program. It’s something that really builds character and confidence. That’s why we’ve been sending students to the Space Academy for the past 26 years.”
SFIC’s Space Academy scholarships are made possible through funding from Mark and Kathy Walchak, former archdiocesan parishioners who wanted to give gifted Catholic school students the chance to benefit from the Space Academy like their own daughter had. The Walchaks’ generosity has sent more than 150 teenagers to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center since 1996, with many going on to pursue careers in STEM fields afterward. Two alumni even joined NASA’s Mars Exploration Program.
For more information on the Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children and its Space Academy scholarships, visit www.sficnj.org.
SFIC, founded in 1983 as the Fund for Educational Advancement, is a non-profit organization funded by corporations, foundations, and individual donors who wish to invest in the future of economically-disadvantaged children living in neighboring communities. The fund has provided more than $54 million in partial-tuition assistance to students from economically-disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds within Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union counties. Scholarships are based on need without regard to religion, gender, race, or ethnic background. Applicant families must be ready to provide proof of income and must intend to attend one of the schools within the four counties it serves.
The Archdiocese of Newark, under the leadership of Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., the sixth archbishop of Newark, serves approximately 1.3 million Catholics in 212 parishes throughout the counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union. The Archdiocese serves the northern New Jersey community through faith, education, and social services. To learn more, visit www.rcan.org.
Doesn’t appear that any “evil white boys” made the cut. Not surprising that the church is going woke as well. Sad.