Mae Jemison for Kids
First Black woman astronaut!
In Chicago, Illinois, a little girl named Mae Jemison looked up at the night sky full of twinkling stars. She was only 5 years old, but she already knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. 'I'm going to space one day!' Mae told her parents. 'I'm going to touch the stars!' Her parents smiled. They believed in her dream, even when others didn't. Mae's mother said, 'If you work hard and never give up, you can do anything.' Mae looked at those stars every night, dreaming of the day she would fly among them.
Fun facts about Mae Jemison
- Mae was born in 1956 in Decatur, Alabama, but grew up in Chicago where she could visit amazing science museums!
- Mae loved the library so much that she would check out as many books as she could carry home!
- Mae's science fair project was about sickle cell anemia - a disease that affects many African Americans!
- When Mae told her kindergarten teacher she wanted to be a scientist, the teacher asked 'Don't you mean a nurse?' Mae said NO - a scientist!
- Mae graduated from high school at 16 and went straight to Stanford University - one of the best schools in America!
What your child will learn
- Learn about Mae Jemison
- Be inspired
- Value heritage
Read the full illustrated story of Mae Jemison
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