Wheeler Selected as the Rhode Island Host Site for NASA’s Europa Clipper Education Outreach Program
January 8, 2025
We have been over the moon since NASA’s Europa Clipper launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida last October–literally! Thanks to a submission by Head of School Allison Gaines Pell P’23, P’25, Wheeler’s name, along with those of other selected participants, is etched onto microchips mounted on the solar-powered spacecraft. The Europa Clipper is on its way to conduct the first detailed investigations of Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa. It’s expected to reach its destination, 1.8 billion miles away, in April 2030. Once there, it will make numerous flybys of Europa to determine if conditions there can support life.
In addition to being on the craft in space, we’re also helping to shine a spotlight on the mission here on Earth. As part of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s educational outreach program, Wheeler was selected as the Rhode Island host site to teach those in our region about the mission.
“When [Aerie Director] Mark Harris [P’08, P’24] and I learned of this opportunity, we were so excited to apply,” says Endowed Chair for Excellence in Upper School Teaching, Science Department Chair and Upper School Science Teacher Sarah Berthiaume Leduc P’32.
“We thought this would be a cool project involving all the divisions. The educational kit we received contains a model of the Europa Clipper and lots of educational materials for all ages, including webinars and training for science teachers and students. As the host site, we also get to connect directly with and learn from NASA scientists!”
Wheeler’s connection to the Europa mission came from an unexpected source–a poem!
“I have always loved the work of Ada Limón, who is the poet laureate of the United States, so when I read about the Clipper and the poem she wrote [‘In Praise of Mystery: A Poem for Europa’], I was inspired,” explains AGP. “In my remarks during the 2023-24 Opening Assembly, I shared that the Clipper represents the best of our scientists. It took years in the making, and hundreds of tiny mechanisms had to work just right to allow it to launch and remain in space, exploring the mysteries of our galaxies. What an amazing feat of humanity. Ada Limón’s poem was inspiring and beautiful, and the opportunity to send Wheeler’s name up into space along with her poem felt irresistible. I’m thrilled that the project has come full circle and has ignited so much interest across all grades of the school!”
“It has been and continues to be a very insightful endeavor,” Ms. B. notes. “Various student groups across the divisions have led presentations on the Europa Clipper at assemblies, sparking a lot of interest from other students. Students from different divisions have even come together to collaborate.” One recent collaboration occurred when the Upper School Astronomy Club joined the Lower School Astronomy Club to help the younger students practice for their presentation.
“The Clipper mission is going to last about six years,” Ms. B points out, “and although these Upper Schoolers will have moved on from Wheeler by then, the 5th-graders from the Lower School Astronomy Club will be 10th-graders and will have followed the Europa Clipper. In Upper School Astronomy Club, they will learn to analyze data from a project they began years ago!
“The Europa Clipper educational initiative has created a connection to something bigger as we follow what’s happening beyond Earth and explore our solar system, and it is becoming an extension of our science education here at Wheeler,” she adds. “We teach our kids to be inquisitive and explore the question ‘What are the possibilities?’ and for them to be part of the Europa Clipper journey is inspiring as young scientists.”
We will continue to follow the Europa Clipper exploration mission through our students’ and teachers’ lenses🔭and experiences and look forward to sharing future updates!🚀💫
