Space Foundation Visited Hartford Students

Captain Winston Scott led a moon-base design workshop for students at Trinity Academy this week.

Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Space

Bold vector editorial illustration showing a conceptual lunar base model with a dome and modular units on a cratered surface.
Students at Trinity Academy in Hartford collaborated on a moon-base design workshop hosted by the Space Foundation this week. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Space Foundation visited Trinity Academy in Hartford to inspire students toward careers in space exploration. Students collaborated in groups to design a fictional lunar community complete with geographic features like mountains and craters.

Why it matters

The program aims to foster interest in STEM skills and teamwork among young students through hands-on educational experiences. Exposure to space exploration experts helps encourage the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Captain Winston Scott spent nine days aboard the Endeavour and 16 days aboard the Columbia. The session required students to plan a self-sustaining lunar colony using specialized design groups.

The players

Winston Scott

He is a retired captain who completed two space shuttle missions.

Trinity Academy

It is a tuition-free private school located in Hartford.

Space Foundation

This organization promotes space exploration and STEM education through community outreach.

Petit Family Foundation

This foundation provides funding for community programs and recently received the Athena Award.

The details

Students at the tuition-free private school focused on building a functional community on the moon. The initiative was supported by the Petit Family Foundation, which recently earned the Athena Award from the Space Foundation for its contributions.

Timeline

  1. September 29, 2026: The Space Foundation visited Trinity Academy.

Deeper Dive

This story follows the model established by the Space Foundation's STEM education initiatives to engage students in technical design. These programs shift the focus from theoretical classroom learning to applied, project-based engineering simulations.

The hands-on simulation gives Hartford students a practical introduction to the engineering challenges of extraterrestrial colonization. Participants gain foundational experience in team-based problem solving and spatial planning.

The takeaway

Hands-on collaboration teaches students to address complex technical problems through interdisciplinary design. Encouraging teamwork at a young age builds critical skills for future work in STEM fields.

Further reading

Learn more about local aerospace developments in the Space section.

Source note: This article includes information reported by WTNH.

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Do you believe local schools should prioritize hands-on STEM programs to prepare students for future careers?