 A Smile As Big As the
Moon: A Teacher, His Class and Their Unforgettable Journey
Besides being a football coach at his Michigan
High School, Mike Kersjes taught special education classes, dealing with children whose
disabilities included Tourette syndrome, Downs Syndrome, dyslexia, eating disorders and a
variety of emotional problems.
One autumn Kersjes got the outlandish idea that his students would benefit from going
to Space Camp, where, in conjunction with NASA, high school students compete in a variety
of activities similar to those experienced by astronauts in training for space shuttle
missions. There was only one problem: this program had been specifically designed for
gifted and talented students, the best and the brightest from America's most privileged
high schools.
Kersjes believed that, given a chance, his kids could do as well as anybody, and with
remarkable persistence broke down one barrier after another, from his own principal's
office to the inner sanctum of NASA, until Space Camp opened its doors, on an experimental
basis, to special ed students.
After nine months of rigorous preparation, during which the class molded
itself into a working team, they arrived at Space Camp, where they turned in a performance
so startling, so surprising, that it will leave the reader breathless. A truly triumphant
story of the power of the human spirit.
For more information about purchasing
this book, or information regarding book signings or appearances, please contact:
Michael Kersjes
E-mail: spaceisspecial@aol.com
Phone: 256-508-9851 |
