SPACE UNITED PARTNERS WITH FORMER SEATTLE SEAHAWKS, DOUG BALDWIN JR.’S FAMILY FIRST COMMUNITY CENTER, TO OFFER SPACE ENGINEER LAUNCHED AND LED STEM SOCCER PROGRAM
RENTON, WA July 14, 2023
Space United, a global soccer organization founded by the Tobacia Brothers, who are Latino immigrants and former professional soccer players turned space engineers, uses the passion for soccer to uplift and include underrepresented communities in the future of STEM and space exploration.
The Space United team, includes the Tobacia Brothers, world-class athletes/coaches, and educators who are passionate about making STEM more accessible for today's youth. Together, they launched the Space United Academy and its Space and Soccer Summer Camp to engage children through energetic instruction that teaches STEM concepts through soccer and hands-on space-themed activities and projects.
In addition, camp goers will get to interact and connect with several influential space guests, including rocket engineers from Blue Origin and SpaceX as well as astronauts from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
Space United draws from years of experience with supporting students and communities since 2019 when they began their Space and Soccer talks locally in school districts including the Renton School District and as keynote speakers for the Museum of Flight. They have also supported students internationally in Central and South America and Spain. Their outreach is led by space engineers such as Camilo Tobacia, who sparks curiosity in STEM with students through the context of soccer and by working with students to design the future of sports in space and memorializing their visions by sending their designs to space in collaboration with Blue Origin’s Club for the Future.
The Space & Soccer Summer Camp will make use of the new state-of-the-art Family First Community Center facility, which boasts a makerspace in addition to several community use rooms and gym areas.
“We are so excited to launch our Space United Academy in our very own neighborhood and support our communities with the incredible team and vision behind the Family First Community Center”, commented Space United’s Director of Communications and multilingual educator, Emily Chow. “We are here to include our communities in the exciting possibilities in STEM and space by making it fun, relatable and memorable, and by giving them access to dynamic role models with similar backgrounds, cultures and of course the shared love of soccer!”
This Space United Space and Soccer program will be part of many creative and community-focused programs to be offered at the Family First Community Center, as part of founder Doug Baldwin, Jr.'s vision to bring compassionate and comprehensive health and wellness care to the Renton Cascade/Benson Hill community.
In addition to the makerspace, the center also houses a demonstration kitchen, an activity lounge, a weight center, a gym with basketball courts and inclusive Healthcare provided by HealthPoint.
The Space United summer camp will run three full-day 1-week sessions for ages K-6, with Session 1 from July 24th - July 28th, Session 2 from July 31 - August 4th, and Session 3 from August 8 - August 12, 2023. The price per session is $520 with financial assistance available.
For financial assistance, please contact camp@spaceunited.com
Visit our Summer Camp page for more details and schedules.
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Emily Chow, Director of Communications at Space United | Emily@spaceunited.com
Camilo Tobacia, Founder & President at Space United | Camilo@spaceunited.com
ABOUT SPACE UNITED
Space United is a sports organization founded by the Tobacia Brothers, Latino immigrants and former professional soccer players turned space engineers. They use the global passion of soccer to uplift and include all communities in the exciting future of STEM. They have a global network of recreational Space United Football Clubs that is made up of space engineer-athletes who connect with students on the soccer field and in classrooms, supporting students with mentorships and career pathways. Space United is working on building their first professional football team for their community, giving them access to entertaining and cutting-edge technology during their game day experiences. Along with their nonprofit, Goal for Launch, Space United has reached over 12k students across the globe.
