ITINERARY

DAY 01: ARRIVAL AT HOUSTON

Meet at the school and proceed to Atlanta Airport.

Tour Manager will meet the group at the school.

Flight # TBD, departs from ATL Airport.

Arrives at Houston Airport.

Proceed to Downtown Aquarium. Downtown Aquarium is the product of redeveloping two downtown Houston landmarks – Fire Station No.1 and the Central Waterworks Building. This magnificent six-acre entertainment and dining complex is a 500,000-gallon aquatic wonderland, home to over 300 species of aquatic life from around the globe. With a full-service restaurant, an upscale bar, a fully equipped ballroom, aquatic & geographic exhibits, shopping, and a variety of amusements, Downtown Aquarium has it all!

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Proceed to The Houston Zoo. The Houston Zoo is a 55-acre zoological park located within Hermann Park in Houston, Texas, USA. The zoo houses over 6,000 animals from 900 species. It receives 2.1 million visitors each year and is the second most visited zoo in the United States. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Enjoy free time at the zoo.

Proceed to the hotel & Check-in.

Stay at overnight in Houston.

DAY 02: SPACE CENTER STARS & STEM OVERNIGHT PROGRAM: FOR GRADES 9-12 (AGE 14-18)

After breakfast, check out from the hotel and meet the tour manager at the lobby. Proceed to visit The Houston Museum of Natural Science. At the Houston Museum of Natural Science, you’re not just going to one place. You’re exploring tropical rainforests and worlds galaxies away. You’re going back in time to when dinosaurs walked the Earth and blasting forward to the future of renewable energy. With five floors of permanent halls and a steady rotation of traveling special exhibits, this Houston attraction will take you beyond our walls to experience the wonder and delight of science. Browse our resources below for information on making the most out of your visit to this must-see location in Houston.

Proceed to Space Center for overnight Stars & STEM Program: The Stars & STEM overnight experience is developed to match each grade level’s standards so students are challenged, inspired and eager to explore STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) concepts when they return to school.

Check in time is 4:30pm; group must arrive 30 min prior to the check in time.

Activity Options: (Select one of the below options)

3, 2, 1 – Ignition! – Learn about Newton’s laws of motion while learning to construct your own Space Center Houston model rocket. Identify all the various parts and learn about the current rockets that NASA is working on to take us back to the Moon and beyond!

1. Thermal Protection System – Can you stop the extreme heat from reaching your eggsplorer? Design, build and test a heat shield to protect your eggstronaut from the extreme temperatures upon re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
2. Engineering for the Extreme Cold – Space is an exceedingly cold place and NASA engineers must prepare spacecraft for this extreme environment. Design, build and test your own cryogenic capsules and analyze the data from the liquid nitrogen test.
3. Lunar Lock Out – Do you have what it takes to establish your place on the Moon? Work as a team to solve various challenges, which unlock boxes to your next mission. The clock is ticking!
4. Robotic Exploration – You and your crew have been tasked with recovering valuable samples for return back to Earth. Use your robot to retrieve and transport these materials across the lunar landscape back to your base.

Overview

• Exciting, hands-on activities
• Buffet dinner served at Space Center Houston
• Welcome briefing in preparation for the night’s activities
• Exciting, program specific, hands-on activities designed to build STEM skills
• Sleep overnight at Space Center Houston.

DAY 03: FULL DAY AT NASA CENTER TOUR

Breakfast served at the Space Center Houston. Proceed to NASA Johnson Space Center, full day at Nasa Center.

Start your visit by seeing the shuttle replica in Independence Plaza and make sure to take a NASA tram tour. Next, go to Destiny Theater to see the signature film, Human Destiny, which explains many of the artifacts you will see. Exit the back of the theater to explore Starship Gallery, where you can see flown spacecraft and touch a moon rock. Don’t forget to catch one of the live shows and other films on the present, past and future of human space exploration.

Proceed to hotel & check-in; stay overnight in Houston.

DAY 04: DEPARTURE FROM HOUSTON

Breakfast & checkout from the hotel. Depart for home.

Flight # TBD, departs from Houston.

Arrives at Atlanta Airport.

Meet the driver outside of the airport terminal and proceed to school.

Drop off at the school.