It started with a Lego set.

During lunch at Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute, students gathered around a model rocket, snapping pieces together. At first, it was simply something fun to build.

That project eventually grew into the Artemis II Explorers Club. Members of the student group are following the upcoming moon mission and the journey of astronaut Jeremy Hansen, who graduated from the southwestern Ontario school.

“Coming from here and going to the moon, which is the biggest of destinations, it kind of shows the town doesn’t matter,” said student Gavin Laidman. “You can come from anywhere and do anything.”

Hansen is set to become the first Canadian to travel to the moon’s vicinity. He’ll be joined by NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch on Artemis II’s flight path around the moon.

It’ll mark the first crewed mission to lunar orbit since 1972.

On Thursday, Hansen’s parents, Nancy and Gary Hansen, visited Ingersoll District Collegiate, the same day NASA held a news conference to announce Artemis II is on track to launch as early as April 1 after several delays.

As well as taking in the student projects, the couple brought a package — including a letter and an Artemis II mission path — that their son had sent through the Canadian Space Agency to the Explorers Club.

For student Ryan Knox, the Hansens’ visit was special validation of the club’s efforts.

“It feels like a lot more recognition than we do deserve,” he said. “It’s really nice to see the connections between our school and the space agency.”

Where the dream began

The Hansens said they were impressed with the students’ efforts.

“It was amazing to see the hard work they put into the displays,” Nancy said. “It was a proud moment that our kids in Ingersoll did that.”

Jeremy’s interest in space started early.

His parents say he was about five years old when he discovered an image of Neil Armstrong’s 1969 moonwalk and announced he wanted to become an astronaut. 

“We didn’t think he really would … but it was always in the back of his mind,” his mom said. “He was a hard worker, dedicated and driven right from a young age.”

Jeremy became a member of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets and then had a career in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Eventually, he earned a place in the Canadian Space Agency’s astronaut corps.

Nancy said the Ingersoll District Collegiate students’ dedication reminded her of her son’s determination while he was growing up.

“I saw the hard work that the kids put into it, so I thought they deserved recognition,” she said. “It was just amazing to see everything that they’ve done in the school.”

It takes a village

Knox said the teachers helped turn the club’s early ideas into something much bigger.

“I like to say Miss Rowe is really good at spooling ideas,” he said about teacher Jennifer Rowe. “You can throw a bunch of string at her, and she’ll spool it together and get a solid plan laid out.”

Knox said students began suggesting ways the school could follow Hansen’s mission and teachers helped bring those ideas to life.

But for Rowe, a history teacher and staff adviser for the Artemis Explorers Club, the project has grown beyond simply following the mission.

“One of the things that we all really gravitated towards was the fact that Jeremy is from Ingersoll — someone who knows what it is to walk these streets, walk these hallways, be in these classrooms, achieve his goal.”

Rowe said the connection carries particular weight in a small community like Ingersoll.

“It gives everyone the recognition and the hope that their dream might also be achievable with some hard work and determination.”

Nancy and Gary Hansen say experiencing the enthusiasm of students in the community where their son grew up is especially meaningful.

“It’s nice to see their interest and that they’re learning as they’re going along,” Nancy said. “They’re making memories they’ll have for a lifetime. It’s really important that kids get involved in what they’re interested in.”