Campaign Overview

Part 1

Audience: Fifth-grade students, parents, teachers, schools and 4-H educators across Indiana.

Competition window: Oct. 1 – Nov. 30, 2026 (fifth graders, 2026-27 school year).

Essay prompt: Spaceflights require a large team of people with a variety of skills in order to be successful. From designing the flight suits to packing food, everyone works together for a successful mission. Think about a subject you love in school or a hobby you enjoy doing in your free time (like art, writing, math, building things, or sports). If you were joining the team for a future space mission, how could you use that specific interest, hobby, or skill to help the crew succeed? What job will you create for yourself on the team?

Core message: Indiana fifth graders write an essay connecting creativity, science and community to Purdue 1, Purdue's upcoming all-Boilermaker suborbital research spaceflight. One winning essay is selected from each of Indiana's 92 counties. Each county winner receives a personalized Purdue 1 Indiana mission patch bearing the student's name, and — if mission conditions permit — the section of the patch displaying winners' names will fly aboard Purdue 1.

Timeline

Part 2

Launch, two crew videos and three reminders, spaced to build urgency as the Nov. 30 deadline nears.

Competition communications timeline, toolkit assets, and audience focus.
Date Milestone Toolkit asset Audience focus
Oct. 1 Competition launches; submissions open Launch post + graphic Everyone — broad awareness
Oct. 14 Crew video 1 — Jason Williamson Crew video 1 post + vertical video Parents, teachers, 4-H educators (to share with fifth graders)
Oct. 28 Crew video 2 — Flo Stahura Crew video 2 post + vertical video Parents, teachers, 4-H educators (to share with fifth graders)
Nov. 9 Reminder 1 — three weeks left Reminder 1 post + graphic Teachers, parents, 4-H educators
Nov. 23 Reminder 2 — one week left Reminder 2 post + graphic Teachers, parents, schools
Early spring 2027 Winners announced (92 counties) Handled in separate winner-announcement toolkit Everyone

Graphics

Part 3

Phase 1 — Launch (Oct. 1)

Calling all Indiana 5th graders. Write. Imagine. Launch your idea into space history. Enter now.

Phase 2 — Reminder 1 (Nov. 9, three weeks left)

Be a part of the Purdue 1 mission. Essays due Nov. 30 — one winner per county earns a mission patch. Submit today.

Phase 3 — Reminder 2 (Nov. 23, one week left)

Final countdown. Essays due Nov. 30 — submit today. Submit now, one week left.

Crew Videos 1 and 2 (Oct. 14 and Oct. 28)

Download Social Graphics for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X (ZIP)
Download Crew Videos (ZIP)

Social Media Copy

Part 4

Phase 1 — Launch (Oct. 1)

🚀 Launching the Purdue 1 Indiana Essay Competition!

Purdue University invites Hoosier fifth graders to explore how they could use a favorite school subject, hobby or skill to help a space mission crew succeed. One winning essay will be chosen from each of Indiana's 92 counties, and every county winner receives a personalized Purdue 1 Indiana mission patch.

If mission conditions allow, winners' names will even travel to space aboard Purdue 1, the university's upcoming all-Boilermaker suborbital research spaceflight!

Submissions open today and run through Nov. 30. Learn more: https://bit.ly/purdue-1-essay

Crew Video 1 — Jason Williamson (Oct. 14)

🎥 A message from the Purdue 1 crew to Indiana fifth graders!

Purdue alum Jason Williamson will fly aboard Purdue 1, Purdue’s all-Boilermaker suborbital research spaceflight — and he wants to hear from Hoosier fifth graders.

Through the Purdue 1 Indiana Essay Competition, fifth graders are invited to write about how they could use a favorite school subject, hobby or skill to help a space mission crew succeed. One winner from each of Indiana's 92 counties will receive a personalized Purdue 1 mission patch, and if mission conditions permit, winners' names will fly with the crew.

Teachers and parents: Share this video with a fifth grader you know! Essays are due Nov. 30: https://bit.ly/purdue-1-essay

Crew Video 2 — Flo Stahura (~Oct. 28)

🧑‍🚀 Incoming transmission for Indiana fifth graders!

Purdue 1 crew member and Purdue alum Flo Stahura has a message for Hoosier students who are ready to think big about space.

There's still time to enter the Purdue 1 Indiana Essay Competition! Whether on their own with the help of a parent or guardian or through their classroom, fifth graders can write about how they could use a favorite school subject, hobby or skill to help a space mission crew succeed. One winner per county receives a personalized Purdue 1 mission patch.

Know a Hoosier fifth grader? Press play together, then share! Essays are due Nov. 30: https://bit.ly/purdue-1-essay

Phase 2 — Reminder 1 (Nov. 9, about three weeks left)

🧑‍🚀 Be a part of the Purdue 1 mission!

As part of the Purdue 1 Indiana Essay Competition, Hoosier fifth graders are encouraged to write about how they could use a favorite school subject, hobby or skill to help a space mission crew succeed.

One winner from each of Indiana's 92 counties will receive a personalized Purdue 1 mission patch — and could even see their name fly to space if mission conditions permit.

Essays are due Nov. 30. Enter today: https://bit.ly/purdue-1-essay

Phase 3 — Final Countdown (Nov. 23, final week)

⌛ Final countdown! The Purdue 1 Indiana Essay Competition closes Nov. 30.

This is the last call for Hoosier fifth graders to share their ideas about the future of space exploration. Whether writing solo with a parent or guardian, or submitting through a classroom, now's the time to finish and turn in essays.

One winner per county receives a personalized Purdue 1 mission patch. Submit before the deadline: https://bit.ly/purdue-1-essay

Sample Outreach Email — To Schools, Teachers and Parents

Part 5

Subject: Invite your fifth graders to participate in the Purdue 1 essay competition

Dear [Teacher/Parent Name],

Purdue University has launched the Purdue 1 Essay Competition, a statewide opportunity for Indiana fifth graders (2026-27 school year) to connect creativity, science and community to Purdue's historic all-Boilermaker suborbital spaceflight, Purdue 1.

Students are invited to write an essay exploring how they could use a favorite school subject, hobby or skill to help a space mission crew succeed. Classrooms that participate as a group are encouraged to submit up to three student essays; students may also enter independently with a parent or guardian's involvement.

Key details:

  • Who: Indiana fifth graders (2026-27 school year)
  • When: Submissions open Oct. 1 and close Nov. 30, 2026
  • Prize: One winning essay is selected from each of Indiana's 92 counties. Each county winner receives a personalized Purdue 1 Indiana mission patch bearing the student's name. If mission conditions allow, winners' names will even travel to space aboard Purdue 1.
  • Crew videos: Purdue 1 crew members Jason Williamson and Flo Stahura have recorded short video messages for Indiana fifth graders. The videos will be available in the competition toolkit on Oct. 14 and Oct. 28, ready to show in your classroom or watch together at home: https://engineering.purdue.edu/purdue1/toolkit
  • Where to submit: https://bit.ly/purdue-1-essay

This is a wonderful way to bring space exploration into your classroom or home and help a student's ideas reach new heights. Full rules, eligibility requirements and submission instructions are available at the submission link above.

We also invite you to help spread the word. The toolkit includes ready-to-post social media copy and graphics you can share with fellow teachers, parents and your community.

Thank you for your support! If you have questions, feel free to reach out.

Warmly,
[Your name]

Newsletter Blurb

Part 6

For school, district, 4-H and partner newsletters. For print newsletters, pair the link with a QR code.

Indiana fifth graders can send their ideas to new heights through the Purdue 1 Indiana Essay Competition. The competition invites students to write about how they could use a favorite school subject, hobby or skill to help a space mission crew succeed, in connection with Purdue's upcoming all-Boilermaker suborbital research spaceflight. Essays are due Nov. 30, and one winner from each county will receive a personalized Purdue 1 mission patch. If mission conditions permit, winners' names will fly aboard Purdue 1. Teachers can show students short video messages from Purdue 1 crew members, and anyone can help spread the word with ready-to-share social media posts and graphics. Both are available in the competition toolkit at https://engineering.purdue.edu/purdue1/toolkit. Learn more and enter at https://bit.ly/purdue-1-essay.