The very busy summer schedule continues for the Dream Flight USA student space shuttle, the Spirit of Education, and its crews.  Having participated in  three parades and three summer school sessions, the shuttle is being prepared for a week-long mission to the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI.  AirVenture takes place July 27-August 2.

So far this summer, the shuttle has appeared in the Stratford Founder’s Day Parade, the Edgar Fire Department Parade, and the 4th of July Parade in Winter, all located in Wisconsin. 

In addition, the shuttle was docked on the campus of the University of Wisconsin Marathon County for the week-long College for Kids, four days at the Tomahawk School Complex, and four days in the Wausau, WI school district, all summer school programs.

The busy summer season isn’t over for the shuttle.   We’ll be at the 40th anniversary celebration of the Central Wisconsin Airport in Mosinee, WI on August 15, the Tomahawk Air Show on August 16, and on September 7, the Spirit of Education will be in the Wausau, WI Labor Day Parade.  On September 12, we go to the Merrill Airport Day celebration in Merrill, WI.

August 6th will find the shuttle back at school, this time as part of a presentation on space by the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium at the University School in Milwaukee, WI.   The session is titled: Traveling in Space Simplified-part one. 

The complete shuttle schedule, along with mission pictures,  can be seen at www.dreamflightusa.com  To schedule a shuttle mission, please contact us via email; dream@dreamflightusa.com.

The Dream Flight USA Foundation is organized and operated exclusively for educational purposes as specified in Section 501 (C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.  Tax-deductible donations may be made to the Dream Flight USA Foundation, Inc.  Our Address is Dream Flight USA Foundation, PO 1931, Wausau, WI 54402-1931.

The Dream Flight USA shuttle, piloted by Keith Karow, was the featured guest attraction in the annual 4^th of July Parade in Shullsburg, WI.  Thousands of people lined the parade route in the small southwestern Wisconsin community before heading to Badger Park for a day of music, sky divers, food, and refreshments.  Hundreds of people toured the shuttle after parade, including visitors from Oregon, Tennessee, Illinois, and Vermont.

Next Mission:  The next shuttle mission is scheduled for next Sunday, July 13, when the Spirit of Education will be part of the parade in the central Wisconsin community of Owen.  The parade begins at 1:30, and tours of the shuttle will follow.  The shuttle will also appear in the annual Labor Day Parade in Wausau.

The Foundation:  The Spirit of Education is owned and operated by the Dream Flight USA Foundation, Inc, in Wausau, WI.  The mission of the foundation is to motivate students in the middle elementary grades to learn.  The shuttle and crew, including the pilot and a teacher, travel to schools wherever invited.  When available and for a fee, the shuttle accepts invitations to civic events.  To learn more about the program, view mission photos, and to schedule a shuttle mission, please visit us at www.dreamflightusa.com.

Busy School Year:  The shuttle recently completed its second year of visiting schools throughout Wisconsin, including missions to all 4th grade classes in the DC Everest School District.  Our shuttle crew visited over 40 schools, including those in Janesville, Colby, Marathon, Marshall, WI, Cadott, Marshfield, Lake Geneva, Southern Door, Wausau Area Montessori Charter School, Rib Lake, and its first trip to Iowa.  The shuttle recently returned from a one-week visit to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where it visited four middle schools and Veterans Memorial Stadium.  The shuttle returned three days before the terrible flooding occurred in Cedar Rapids.  The shuttle just completed a week-long mission on the UWMC campus in Wausau as part of the College for Kids program.

Our email address is dream@dreamflightusa.com.

The Dream Flight USA shuttle embarks on its longest mission yet when it travels to Cedar Rapids, Iowa on June 1. The shuttle will visit four schools; McKinley Middle School on Monday, June 2, Wilson School, Tuesday, June 3, Taft Middle School, Wednesday, June 4, and Franklin Middle School, Thursday, June 5. There are also plans for the shuttle to visit the Cedar Rapids Kernels Minor League baseball stadium on Wednesday, June 4, following the mission to Taft Middle School. You are invited to tour the shuttle during our visit to the stadium.

In addition to a busy mission schedule to elementary schools, the Dream Flight USA shuttle is scheduled for several public appearances over the next few months.   The complete schedule is availalbe on the “Schedule” page at; www.dreamflightusa.com.  Here is a look at the public appearances schedule for the spring and summer.  Please stop and tour the shuttle if you get the opportunity.

Friday, April 25, the shuttle will be open for tours from 3 PM to 6 PM at the Grand Opening of JAG Equipment in Marathon, WI. 

Saturday, May 3, the shuttle crew invites visitors on board from 9 AM to Noon at Wauasu Tile’s Idea Center in Rothschild.

On Sunday, May 18, we invite you to tour the shuttle at the Cedar Creek Mall near Wausau, WI, as we will be there on behalf of the Rothschild Police Department’s annual Semi-Pull.

Saturday, June 14, we are honored to be part of the annual Pulaski FlyFest in Pulaski, WI.  We’ll be open for tours starting at 10 AM.

The Spirit of Education will be in the annual 4th of July Parade at Shullsburg, WI.  After the parade, we will be open for tours.

July 13, we’ll be in Owen, WI for another parade, and open for tours from 2:30 to 4:30.

In the past week, 5 new shuttle missions have been put on the schedule.   

The Spirit of Education will be visiting the Peace Lutheran School in Antigo, WI on Friday, May 9, the Cadott Elementary School in Cadott, WI on Thursday, May 15, and the Wausau Area Montessori Charter School in Wausau, WI on Friday, May 16th.June will see the shuttle return to the University of Wisconsin Marathon Campus for the College for Kids program from Monday, June 23 through Friday, June 27th. We have been honored by requests to bring the shuttle to some very special community events. The Spirit of Education will be in Shullsburg, WI for the 4th of July Parade. We’ll open the shuttle for visitors following the parade. The Spirit of Education will be in Owen, WI on Sunday, July 13 for a parade, and then open its main hatch for a couple of hours to welcome visitors.

One of the options available to schools and events hosting a shuttle visit, or mission, is having an open house on board the Spirit of Education.  Many schools have found that a shuttle open house is a great way to demonstrate to the public the innovative programs availalbe to their students. 

For more information on a shuttle open house, and to learn more about the Dream Flight USA Shuttle Program, please visit www.dreamflightusa.com.  Or email mission control at dream@dreamflightusa.com.

The four-day shuttle mission to northern Wisconsin came to a successful conclusion when the school day ended on December 20th at the Minocqua Elementary School.  The Dream Flight USA shuttle visited the Lac du Flambeau Elementary School on December 17 and 18, and Minocqua Elementary on December 19 and 20.  The shuttle is now home for the holidays.

The next trip for the shuttle and crew is scheduled for January 8, 2008, when we will be hosting the fourth grade teachers in the D.C. Everest School District near Wausau, WI.  When the shuttle travels to each of the elementary schools in the district, the teaching will be done by the district’s fourth grade teachers.  On January 8, the teachers will spend time on the shuttle getting updated on the additions to the work stations since we last visited a year ago.

If you would like to see the shuttle visit your school or event, please contact mission control via email at dream@dreamflightusa.com.  For more information on the Dream Flight USA shuttle program, please visit www.dreamflightusa.com. 

The Dream Flight USA shuttle and crew will spend the final day of the four-day mission to northern Wisconsin hosting students at the Minocqua Elementary School.  After the final bell today,  the shuttle heads home for the holidays.

January will be a busy time for the shuttle.  On January 8th the Spirit of Education will be in the D.C. Everest School District hosting the district’s 4th grade teachers.  The teachers will be conducting classes on board the shuttle when it visits their schools during the last week of January and the first week of February.

The shuttle will be on display at the annual Wisconsin School Board Convention in Milwaukee January 24th and 25th.

On January 27th, visitors to the annual Wausau 525 Snowmobile Races will get to tour the shuttle at Sunnyvale Park from 11:00 AM till 3:00 PM. 

If you would like the shuttle to visit your school or event, please email the Dream Flight USA Foundation at dream@dreamflightusa.com for fee information.  The complete shuttle schedule is available on the “Schedule” page of the web site;  www.dreamflightusa.com.   

Following a successful two-day mission to the Lac du Flambeua Elementary School in northern Wisconsin, the Dream Flight USA shuttle is now on-station at the Minocqua Elementary School.  The shuttle and crew will remain in Minocqua for two days before returning home for the holidays. 

Pictures from the mission will be posted on the www.dreamflightusa.com web site when they are received in Mission Control.

All systems are “go” for day two of the four-day mission to northern Wisconsin for the Dream Flight shuttle and crew.  The two-day mission to the Lac du Flambeau Elementary School wraps up at the end of the school day today. 

The shuttle’s orbit then moves to the Minocqua Elementary School for a two-day mission beginning Wednesday morning, December 19.  The shuttle heads home for the holidays after school on Thursday.

Pictures of the entire mission will be posted on www.dreamflightusa.com when they are received at mission control.  Expect the pictures to be available before the holiday break.

The Dream Flight USA shuttle and crew are now in orbit in the northern part of the state.  Today and Tuesday will find the Spirit of Education at the Lac du Flambeau Elementary School.  The two-person crew includes Lynn Lensmire, the on board teacher, and the shuttle pilot, Barry Brubaker.

More information about the Dream Flight USA Foundation, and the mission of the shuttle, can be found at www.dreamflightusa.com.

The Dream Flight USA shuttle, the Spirit of Education, is set for launch.  The shuttle and crew, the on board teacher, Lynn Lensmire, and shuttle pilot, Barry Brubaker, will be on station at the Lac du Flambeua Elementary School on Monday and Tuesday. 

The on Wednesday, December 19, the shuttle’s orbit shifts to the Minocqua Elementary School.  Following the missions to northern Wisconsin, the shuttle will  return to its hangar for the holidays.

The shuttle, the Spirit of Education, travels to schools throughout the Midwest from its launch pad in Spencer, Wisconsin. Its mission is to motivate children in the middle elementary grades to learn.  The curriculum was developed primarily for students in the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades. 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.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’s work in developing hands-on programs has earned her the Presidential Award for elementary science teaching.

You may learn more about the Dream Flight USA shuttle experience by visiting www.dreamflightusa.com.