Fifth grade students at Wheeling Country Day School have been launching a weather balloon to the stratosphere since 2014. Each year, the project expands both its complexity and its reach, now utilizing state of the art equipment and connecting with community partners from across industries. These improvements have helped the weather balloon evolve from a twice weekly science project on a shoestring budget to a full blown research project, with students learning in concentrated management teams like ‘Research and Development’ or ‘Public Relations’. The entire three month process culminates in Launch Day, our public exhibition of learning, and a featured event of past Remake Learning Days.

The early stages of this event coincided with the annual memorial of Josiah, one of the most involved students who tragically passed just before our first launch and the namesake for which our project is titled. Since then, it has been a way to remember Josiah and remind us all of the meaning such work can have in our lives and the lives of the children we serve. And it helps us lift our heads above our typical points of view, see high in the sky and feel the sun on our face, and for one brief moment together, we all look up.