Ten-year-old Elijah Silva of Hemet recently graduated from NASA Space Camp and is thankful for the experience. The Huntsville, Alabama-based Space Camp has been helping inspire the next generation of explorers for more than 42 years. This internationally known program with more than one million alumni is based on NASA astronaut training and focuses on teamwork and leadership skills.
Elijah was part of a team of 16 who worked together to confront mission scenarios that require problem-solving and critical thinking skills. The six-day camp found young people, aged 9-11, immersed in astronaut training techniques using equipment adapted from NASA’s astronaut program.
“We were busy all day long,” he said. “We woke up at 6:30 a.m. every morning and went to bed around 9:15 p.m. each night. Some days we were able to have recess for 10 minutes and they would allow us to hang out with our teammates for an hour before bed.”
Some of his favorite STEM activities were building and launching cardboard rockets and experiencing the Five Degrees of Freedom simulator. “It turned five degrees in each direction,” Elijah said. “The chair simulated how it would feel to be in space with zero gravity.”
Delesia Silva told her son about the camp, and he thought it sounded like it would be a lot of fun. “We looked up YouTube videos and I decided I wanted to try it,” Elijah said. “I enjoy learning about space and space travel.”
“I knew this camp would be a good fit for Elijah because he loves everything related to STEM,” Silva said. “When he was just 18 months old, he could name all seven planets in our Solar System. His love for science kept growing, especially his interest in space exploration. I’ve taken him to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory twice, and each time he was in awe. Space Camp felt like the natural next step.”
Silva said that as a parent, it was hard to spend a week away from Elijah. “This was his first sleepover, and I wasn’t sure how he would handle it. I was mostly thinking about whether he would be comfortable. We flew to Alabama, and I booked a hotel right next to the camp, just a short walk away. The camp also allowed the kids to call their guardians every night before bedtime, which helped.”
Also helpful was the fact that his 11-year-old cousin, Izaiah Silva was there, and they got to be on the same team. Of the seven teams that were at the camp during the same week as them, they were on Dorado, named for a fish constellation in the far southern sky. Only two teams were singled out for recognition on graduation day.
“My team won an award for being an Outstanding Team because we demonstrated communication, trust, problem solving, critical thinking, and teamwork,” he said. “There was one other team that won best mission patch for their patch design.”
Elijah said an unexpected highlight was being picked as one of the three cadets to be on the art team to create his team’s patch. “We did not win, but winning Outstanding Team seemed better,” he said.
Some of the camp-wide Challenge night activities included building a cube as a team while in the water and speaking in double-talk to ensure messages were being delivered appropriately.
“Staff added additional challenges such as hopping on one leg while building the cube underwater,” Elijah said. “We had to have one hand on our head while building the cube. This challenge was a lot of fun. We also experienced Jeopardy! (game show), space edition. We were split into two teams to answer trivia questions about space.”
After his Space Camp graduation on July 4, Elijah stayed in the area and enjoyed some other adventures. “My family and I visited the MidCity District and watched the fireworks show put on by the city,” he said. “The next day we visited Alabama A&M University’s campus, an HBCU in Huntsville. I enjoyed visiting the campus. I was able to see the engineering building and the football field.”
They also visited the famous convenience store/gas station Buc-ee’s. “That was exciting to see because of all of the Buc-ee’s merchandise and different foods to choose from. I tried the beaver chips, apple pie, and the blue cream soda. I also enjoyed visiting the Waffle House. My mom explained that we don’t have this franchise available in California. She grew up visiting this place often, and it brought back great memories. The food was delicious. I had steak, scrambled eggs, and grits.”
Delesia Silva grew up in Mt. Gilead, North Carolina, and this was her first time visiting Alabama. “It reminded me a lot of home,” she said. “The Southern cooking, familiar places like Waffle House, the humid weather, the green landscape, and the warm hospitality all brought back memories of my hometown. It was refreshing and comforting.”
Elijah’s summer has also been filled with his ongoing entrepreneurial and philanthropic pursuits. He has six gumball machines located in area businesses that he checks and refills every two months. His newest one was installed at Destination Smokehouse BBQ in Murrieta. He also hosted his popular lemonade stand for several weeks again this summer. He is saving his earnings for a car.
“I decided to take the money out of the bank and invest it in cryptocurrency,” he said. “I know this is a long-term investment. I am hoping it pays off. It’s been up and down, but no significant losses.”
Elijah serves as CEO for Elijah Cares, the family’s nonprofit organization that was established to educate, build networks, and strengthen communities. The Silva family believes that educating kids involves teaching them the knowledge, skills, and values that will help them grow into responsible and successful adults. They organize events and activities to make connections to those that can collaborate on projects and initiatives and share resources and information.
“Recently, Elijah Cares participated in Black Voices of the Valley’s Juneteenth celebration,” he said. “We ran the craft corner. Kids were able to create their own bracelets, paint canvases and ceramics, make soap, candles, and bedazzle Africa-inspired keychains. I had an awesome time.”
The busy young man has also stayed focused on his academic studies. Having been chosen to attend the Western Center Academy through its lottery system of enrollment, Elijah has already been given some math schoolwork to complete before classes begin on Aug. 11. The charter school serves grades 6-12.
“I have wanted to attend WCA since 3rd grade,” said Elijah, who was able to skip fourth grade. He is looking forward to studying chemistry with his future career sights set on becoming a nuclear physicist.
“When Elijah is exposed to something he loves, he holds on to the information and takes it upon himself to learn more,” Silva said. “He learned about Alyssa Carson, the young woman who dreams of going to Mars and never returning. After camp, Elijah and I talked about how he might one day design a spacecraft to bring her back to Earth or find a way to turn a natural resource on Mars into fuel so she could return. This experience helped him grow in critical thinking and problem-solving. His passion for science, combined with the right exposure and resources, will continue to encourage innovative thinking and may one day contribute to the advancement of our society.”
Launched in 1982, Space Camp has inspired and motivated young people from around the country, and later the world, with attendees from all 50 states, U.S. territories, and 150 foreign countries. It offers a one-of-a-kind educational experience that illuminates real-world applications of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
For more information, www.rocketcenter.com/SpaceCamp.
