Amanda Galt, an 11-year-old at Sherwood Elementary in Melbourne, cranked her head back to get a better look at the Saturn 5 rocket.
"It's overwhelming," she said. "It feels like it's bigger than my school. It's like wow."
More than 5,000 sixth-graders from Brevard Public Schools will get to see the rocket up close during Brevard Space Week, which runs through Dec. 12. The six-year-old program, presented at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, teaches students about space exploration and the importance of math and science.
"It's amazing how they put all this stuff together and get it up in the air," Shamon Williams, an 11-year-old from Saturn Elementary in Cocoa said.
Nearby, her classmate Joshua Wheaton-Sanko's mouth dropped to the floor and his eye's opened wide as he got his first glimpse of Saturn 5.
"This is amazing," he said while jumping in the air trying to get a better look at the massive rocket. "I've never seen anything like this."
Students took part in a scavenger hunt where they answered space-related questions and watched the IMAX film "Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon."
They also got a chance to ask astronaut John Fabian questions.
"Did you like space?" one student asked.
"Yeah, space was a lot of fun," Fabian answered.
Space Week is sponsored by NASA Education, Brevard Schools Foundation, Delaware North Parks and Resorts and Florida Chapter of the National Space Club.
The program is entirely funded by grants and donations and not the district budget. It costs about $120,000, up from $100,000 last year due to rising transportation costs, said Lynn Clifton, director of Brevard Schools Foundation.
Participating students get a certificate that allows them to return to the Visitor Complex with four guests to show off what they learned.


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