The Young Astronauts Program was discontinued in the autumn of 2010 after 26 years of inspiring young people to scientific thought and action outside of their immediate "world."

A federally promoted but privately funded program, the Young Astronauts curriculum lost support with the waning of the manned space agenda. Young Astronauts was instrumental in stimulating academic thought beyond classroom basics and encouraging scientific inquiry even in schools with underprivileged populations. This learning was pursued by students outside of daily instructional time.

At a time when pervasive instant gratification and 24/7 entertainment vies for students' attention, programs like Young Astronauts are more critical than ever. Please put your name to this petition letter addressed to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Coalition and encourage them to reinstate the Young Astronauts Program. Let's do everything we can to keep turning Science Fiction into Science Fact!