Learning…A lifelong journey. These are stories from the spaceship Vestigo. Its 20-year journey will take a large group of people from Earth to a new home outside our solar system…
The passengers are from 2- to 50-years-old and have little contact with Earth. They have access to books and other resources onboard the ship. Many are experts in different fields. Vestigo is equipped with artificial gravity and large areas for growing food. Living quarters are like compact apartments.
Everyone onboard will need education and training. They will need to maintain the ship and to prepare for life on a new planet. Most people will need to be skilled in more than one area. Each grade category has different submission requirements, but everyone must submit a story that shows a person onboard the Vestigo learning something new.
Elementary School (Grades 3-5)
Kaya Herr
5th Grade at Poolesville Elementary School (Poolesville, MD)
The Roller-Float
First Place
Emilee Colton
5rd Grade at Ivy Hill Elementary (Arlington Heights, IL)
Emeralda
Third Place
Brynley Drozd
3rd Grade at Homeschool (Hampstead, NC)
Jordan’s Dream
Honorable Mention
Other Finalists
Building the Future by Recycling by Jordyn Fox
3rd Grade at Calder Road Elementary (Dickinson, TX)
Aboard the Vestigo by Victoria Zhang
4th Grade at Somerset Elementary (Bellevue, Washington)
Katie's Intergalactic Wrench by Cammie Pattinson
4th Grade at Bedford Road School (Pleasantville, NY)
An Adventure of Science (and Music) by Morgan Cole
4th Grade at Pine Crest School (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
Middle School (Grades 6-8)
Asha Spitzer
6th Grade at Stanley Middle School (Lafayette, CA)
A Rocky Start
First Place
Iris Snaith
6th Grade at Naples Central School District (Prattsburgh, NY)
A New Type of Warmth
Honorable Mention
Other Finalists
The Beauty of Waste by Claire Dokko
8th Grade at Ridgecrest Intermediate School (RHE, CA)
Valor by Minh Do
8th Grade at Redwood Middle School in Saratoga (Saratoga, California)
A Lame Piece of Metal by Ya'el Amsalem
7th Grade at Harpeth Hall School (Nashville, Tennessee)
Tides of Learning by Emily Maremont
7th Grade at Hamlin School (San Francisco, CA)
Saving The Vestigo by Ryka Jain
6th Grade at Helios New School (San Jose, California)
True Friendship by Reagan Nisbet
7th Grade at Harpeth Hall School (Nashville, Tennessee)
High School (Grades 9-12)
Emerson Utgaard
10th Grade at Patrick Henry High School (San Diego, CA)
Journey to Planet X
First Place
Sashrika Pandey
12th Grade at Irvington High School (Fremont, CA)
Spinning Silk
Second Place
Caroline Dinh
11th Grade at Richard Montgomery High school (Rockville, MD)
All Hands On Deck
Honorable Mention
Other Finalists
Goodnight, Sleep Tight! by Dolsey Lin
9th Grade at The Valley Christian High School (San Jose, CA)
Pulsing Stars by Nicole Liu
11th Grade at Lakefield College School (Toronto, Ontario)
How Marcus Became Human by Lexi Ochsner
12th Grade at Shanley High School (West Fargo, ND)
A New Horizon by Ayla Burba
9th Grade at Kirkwood High School (Kirkwood, MO)
Level Ten Examinations by Anushka Naiknaware
11th Grade at Lake Oswego Senior High School (Portland, OR)