2026 Space Academy Applications: Now Open!
We are pleased to share that the La Cañada Flintridge Sister Cities International Space Academy program application period has now opened. The application period will be open for interested students from today, August 3, 2026, until September 7, 2026.
KEY INFO:
The application link can be found here.
Applications will be open from August 3-September 7, 2026.
Finalists will be notified on or before September 8, 2026.
The start date for the program is Friday, September 11, 2026 and there will be nine mandatory sessions on Fridays plus a mandatory graduation ceremony.
The International Space Academy is an internationally award-winning high school program co-sponsored by La Cañada Flintridge Sister Cities and JPL. In fact, our Sister Cities team is thrilled to share that just last week we won an award from Sister Cities International for this program in the category for “Innovation in Youth and Education.” We have now been honored to received that award in both 2026 and 2020 for this exciting and innovative student series.
This opportunity is a space entrepreneurial program where student teams form start-up companies and compete on challenges spanning from design of launchers and langers to a stock market simulation and coding a rover. In addition, La Cañada students connect with students in our sister city of Villanueva de la Cañada in a collaboration that has enhanced the program.
Space Academy is open to students in grades 11-12 who attend any of the four local high schools in La Cañada Flintridge: La Cañada High School, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, Flintridge Preparatory School and St. Francis High School. This year the program will meet over a 10-week period from September through November. It consists of 10 mandatory sessions that take place on Fridays from 3:45-5:45pm on the JPL campus in the von Kármán Auditorium. Applicants must be able to commit to attending all 10 sessions in person. This includes the final day, which is a graduation ceremony. The dates are: 9/11, 9/18, 9/25, 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23 (TEST LAUNCH), 10/30, 11/6 (FINAL LAUNCH) and 11/14 (GRADUATION EVENT). In addition, students will need to meet on their own and collaborate with students in Spain. Accepted applicants are required to pay a $200 program fee to cover the program’s expenses—$100 of which goes to a one-year Sister Cities membership and $100 of which covers materials and related fees.
Applicants must complete a brief online application, which can be found here. Selected participants will be notified on or before September 8, 2026 if they are chosen to join this year’s program. Accepted students are required to become student members of LCF Sister Cities.
Thank you for your interest!
