The Washington Aerospace Scholars (WAS) program is has announced that two Inglemoor High School students, Athil George and Apurva Gavali, are participating in Phase One of the 2015-16 program cycle, which is now in its 10th year.

WAS is designed to connect high school juniors with educational and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through independent learning, hands-on interaction, professional guidance, and site-based tours.

The students applied in fall of 2015, along with 266 student applicants from 103 different public, private, and homeschool organizations, to participate in Phase One of the WAS program. They are now among the 173 students still participating in an online, distance learning curriculum. Designed by NASA and the University of Washington, the curriculum focuses on the past, present, and future of human space travel. Participating students are able to register to earn five UW Earth Space Science graduation requirement credits.

The top performing 160 students will be invited to one of four Summer Residency sessions, Phase Two of the WAS program, hosted by the Museum of Flight in June and July. In each summer session, four student teams cooperate to plan a human mission to Mars with support from professional engineers/scientists, university students, and certificated educators. Additionally, participants receive briefings from aerospace professionals, tour local engineering facilities, and compete in hands-on engineering challenges.

Student and teacher applications for the 2016-17 program year will be available during August 2016 at www.museumofflight.org/was.

Participants must be high school juniors, United States citizens and Washington State residents.