(Photo courtesy of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University)
On Saturday, April 18, 2026, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) and USA Girl Scouts Overseas (USAGSO) teamed up to celebrate the Month of the Military Child with an exciting global event: Back to the Moon: The Artemis Mission.
2026 marks the 5th year of ERAU and USAGSO providing virtual and in-person Month of the Military Child events as a collaborative effort. Nearly 400 children participated in this year’s event, including those who joined virtually and those who attended in-person watch parties held at Embry-Riddle campus locations in Europe and the Pacific. During the watch parties held at Aviano, Kadena, Lakenheath, Osan, Spangdahlem, Vogelweh and Wiesbaden, students participated in engaging hands-on activities, like tasting and describing MRE food products, making “stretchy universe” slime, learning the phases of the moon with Oreo cookies, and even building a bubble powered rocket. Other ERAU campuses, like Misawa and Yokota, partnered with their base communities and youth centers to hold interactive STEM-based activities for youth participants, such as designing wooden aircraft, and more, in support of military child STEM engagement and learning.
Dr. Amaya Davis, a US Navy Veteran, aerospace engineer, and NASA Solar System Ambassador, led the virtual session, captivating students with her knowledge and enthusiasm. Dr. Davis showcased the Artemis II Mission: Humanity’s Return to the Moon, which successfully launched on April 1, 2026, from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
(Photo courtesy of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University)
Participants were able to learn about deep space exploration systems, NASA’s largest rocket ever built, its Mascot, Rise, and how four astronauts successfully completed a 10-day space Mission in the Orion Spacecraft. The program provided an unforgettable educational experience that inspired curiosity and excitement for STEM fields among military children worldwide.
A special thanks goes to our outstanding partner at USAGSO, Taryn Rimland, and her team for their unwavering collaboration and support. We also extend our heartfelt appreciation to the communities at each watch party location for their active and enthusiastic participation, which contributed significantly to the success of this event. In addition, we express our sincerest gratitude to our base partners, including the Kadena Civil Air Patrol, and the Osan and Spangdahlem base libraries and their staff, for their collaborative efforts to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders.
For those who missed the live session, the event recording is now available to watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CInAbVNM6f4
ERAU and USAGSO are proud to continue creating opportunities for military families to connect, learn, and celebrate the resilience of military children around the world.
About ERAU’s Overseas U.S. Military Operations
ERAU has had the privilege of serving overseas U.S. military students via our current Tri-Services Contract since the opening of our first European military location in 1973. Campus locations are scattered across Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, & the United Kingdom. Locations include Aviano AB, NATO AB Geilenkirchen, USAG Bavaria (Grafenwoehr/Vilseck/Hohenfels), USAG Ansbach (Katterbach/Illesheim), Incirlik AB, RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, Ramstein AB, NAVSTA Rota, NAS Sigonella, Spangdahlem AB, Vicenza (Caserma Ederle), and USAG Wiesbaden, while providing support for students located in the Kaiserslautern Military Community (KMC – Sembach Kaserne, USAG Baumholder, Kleber Kaserne, & USAG Rheinland-Pfalz Landstuhl), USAG Stuttgart, Naples, RAF Croughton, RAF Molesworth, Moron AB, Poland (Poznan/Powidz), & Romania (Mihail Kogalniceanu AB). The team celebrated 50 years in Europe in 2023!
European Military Campus Operations Website: Europe Military Campuses Website
ERAU began offering aviation undergraduate and graduate certificates and degree programs, EagleVision Classroom (EVC) courses, and on-site advising/support services, to members of the U.S. military stationed at overseas Pacific locations in U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) and U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) in 2015 under a Department of Defense Education contract (recently replaced with an Education Services Agreement (ESA). ERAU PACOM’s flagship campus locations, Kadena AFB in Okinawa and Camp Humphreys in South Korea, opened their doors in August of 2015. Since then, ERAU PACOM has expanded to include twelve campus locations throughout Japan and South Korea (Camp Humphreys, Camp Zama, Kadena AFB, Kunsan AB, MCAS Futenma, MCAS Iwakuni, Misawa AFB, NAF Atsugi, Osan AFB, Yokosuka NB, Yokota AFB, and Guam). We also support students located in Camp Foster, Camp Schwab, Torii Station, and Camp Fuji. The ESA (Education Services Agreement) is effective until 2032. The team is celebrating 10 years of military student support in the Pacific command this year!
Pacific Command Campus Operations Website: PACOM Military Campuses Website
About USA Girl Scouts Overseas:
USA Girl Scouts Overseas (USAGSO) began in 1925 with a single troop of 18 girls in Shanghai, China. USAGSO exists to bring Girl Scouts to the daughters of military, foreign service, and American expat families around the world and to girls in American or International schools. An operating unit of Girl Scouts of the USA, USAGSO ensures that no matter where American families move, they will have access to the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.
USAGSO provides opportunities for girls to connect, learn, and take action in an environment tailored to their unique experiences living overseas. Through engaging programs and initiatives, USAGSO empowers girls to develop essential skills and leadership qualities, fostering confidence and resilience.
Today, USAGSO supports nearly 10,000 members in 80+ countries around the world. USAGSO staff supports members from three locations: New York City; Vicenza, Italy and Tokyo, Japan.
For more information, please visit www.usagso.org.
