Former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly has offered an important tip to staying engaged and motivated during the coronavirus lockdown, especially for children.
He said that children’s long-term goals and aspirations are extremely important. Many physical classrooms have been replaced with online classrooms for millions of children during the ongoing crisis.
“I think it’s important to let them know that their education is still important despite everything that is going on out there,” Kelly said, acknowledging that the pandemic has brought a number of challenges for kids and their parents.
“Distance learning, or homeschooling, it’s good for some kids, but not all,” he added.
In 2016, Kelly became the first American astronaut to spend 12 consecutive months in space, completing an epic 340-day stint on the International Space Station.
Kelly told Fox News that perseverance would eventually pay off for children struggling with distance learning. He said, “I recognize that it’s not easy – often things that are meaningful are hard and challenging. Find inspiration where you can find it.”
The former NASA astronaut will take part in a long Q&A session as part of Research Quest Live today, where students can interact with professional educators.
In 2018, Kelly told Fox News how he went from a bad student to a fighter pilot, test pilot, and eventually a NASA astronaut.
The Research Quest Live classes are offered online every weekday and are available on-demand 24/7.
The Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU) said students from 56 countries and all 50 states have accessed the program.
NHMU Executive Director, Jason Cryan, said, “Research Quest Live provides a classroom environment,” adding that it teaches topics such as “paleontology, ecology, biodiversity, and climate.”
In Friday’s event, Kelly will offer useful insights by sharing his incredible experiences in space and motivate students, said Cryan. Kelly said, “Finding ways to reach a large audience and kids of different attention spans is much more important now that they are learning from home.”
