FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:

Sean Liphard

Communications Manager

seanl@cfvi.net

561.818.8050 cell

CFVI Announces the Availability of the

Blake and Karen Rapier Space Camp Scholarship

DEADLINE TO APPLY: February 21, 2025

Home to Space Camp®, Aviation Challenge® Camp, Space Camp Robotics, and U.S. Cyber Camp the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) is the most comprehensive U.S. manned spaceflight hardware museum in the world. From a model of America’s first satellite, Explorer I, to next generation space vehicles like Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser, the museum showcases the past, present and future of human spaceflight. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center serves as the Official NASA Visitor Center for Marshall Space Flight Center and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. Photos credit: U.S. Space and Rocket Center

U.S. Virgin Islands, December 9, 2024 — The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) is pleased to announce the availability of the Blake and Karen Rapier Space Scholarship at the Foundation, with funding provided by local global investment firm, RapierMed.

The scholarship, which covers the cost to attend Space Camp in 2025, will be awarded to deserving U.S. Virgin Islands high school students passionate about space and STEM with a GPA of 3.2 or higher.

Located at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) in Huntsville, Alabama, the Space Camp experience immerses trainees in a setting rich with space, aviation, and defense exhibits that ignite creativity. Participants develop teamwork, leadership, and decision-making abilities through mission simulations, gaining personal and professional skills that shape their futures.

Space Camp has been inspiring future explorers for over 32 years. The renowned program, with more than 700,000 alumni, is modeled on NASA's astronaut training and emphasizes teamwork and leadership. Established in 1982, Space Camp has motivated young minds from across the U.S. and around the world, attracting participants from all 50 states, U.S. territories, and over 150 countries.

The camp was conceived by Dr. Wernher von Braun, a pioneer of the Apollo rocket program, and Edward O. Buckbee, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s first director.

"Space Camp offers Virgin Islands youth a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engage in hands-on, immersive learning in a field that becomes increasingly vital with each advancement in space exploration," said RapierMed's Vice President, Trey Goldsmith. "We are proud to support this initiative, opening doors for the territory’s brightest minds. We encourage high school students across the Virgin Islands to apply.”

The scholarship application process is open through February 21, 2025. Scholarship recipients will be announced at the end of March. To apply, visit https://cfvi.co/SpaceCamp.

For more information about establishing a new scholarship fund or supporting U.S. Virgin Islands students through donations to CFVI’s scholarship programs, please contact general.info@cfvi.net or visit https://cfvi.net/Scholarships.

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About the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands

Since 1990, CFVI has been a catalyst for positive change in the territory through initiatives committed to youth, learning, family support and the environment. With a professional staff and a volunteer Board of Directors composed of community leaders, CFVI is a trusted advocate and supporter of programs that ensure opportunity and sustainability for current and future generations. CFVI is a registered non-profit organization entirely supported by individual donors, grants, trusts, corporate donations and estate planning. For more information, visit cfvi.net.