California, Ky. (UPI) -- Students at a Kentucky school are part of a worldwide group of children whose digitized banners with their names are now 235 miles above their heads in space.

The banner carrying the names of 187 students at Sts. Peter and Paul School in California, Ky., and 550 other banners around the world, were chosen to fly aboard the shuttle Discovery's STS-120 mission to the International Space Station.

The hand-made banners, which were digitized for their space trip, are part of the "Signatures in Space" program, sponsored by NASA and Lockheed Martin Corp. The program aims to increase young children's interest in science.

Once the shuttle returns to Earth, the banners will be returned to the school along with a photograph of the seven-member shuttle crew.
go

Awsome.
Thats one way to reach for the stars!

How would the children gain from this?

you can say that again

The banner is an excellent idea...First step to getting kids interested in science and space....I'm sure they are also being taught alot more about the space program besides how to make a banner...If it pulls up the kid's interest then it's worth it...

why all great fancy things in school happen after i graduated

Oh wow, first of its kind. *Space Graphitti*

I'm sorry, this just doesn't work for me. Digitzed banners of kids' names in space? If you want to get kids interested in space, how about building rockets, visiting a planetarium, building robotic arms like on rovers... You know, fun stuff to do.

Oh... I didn't read the article. How old are these kids? If they are 3 or 4, I guess making name banners is okay, although they wouldn't remember their interest in space when they grow up probably anyway.