A Smile as Big as the Moon

Mike Kersjes always believed that his students could do anything—even attend the prestigious Space Camp in Huntsville Alabama where some of America’s best and brightest high school students compete in a variety of activities similar to those experienced by NASA astronauts training for space shuttle missions. The challenge was convincing everyone else that the kids in his special education class with disabilities including Tourette’s syndrome Down’s syndrome dyslexia eating disorders and a variety of emotional problems would benefit from the experience and succeed. In A Smile as Big as the Moon Kersjes explains how with remarkable persistence he broke down one barrier after another from his own principal’s office to the inner sanctum of NASA until Space Camp finally opened its doors. After nine months of rigorous preparation Kersjes’s class arrived at Space Camp where they turned in a performance beyond everyone’s expectations.