JCHS Teacher’s Space Website featured in Recently-Published Book

Joliet Central High School science teacher Lisa DeWispelaere and her space-themed website were featured in the book John F. Kennedy: From Florida to the Moon by Raymond P. Sinibaldi, published on July 1, 2019. Sinbaldi reached out to DeWispelaere after seeing her website, www.spaceychick.com, which is dedicated to space-related topics including spacecrafts, astronauts, space centers, and rockets.

Sinibaldi and Dewispelaere are part of a tight-knit community of space-enthusiasts. In addition to working as a science teacher at Joliet Central High School, DeWispelaere is also a collector of space artifacts and has traveled extensively to space sites. She has visited all the manned US spacecrafts, as well as many of the astronauts who have flown them. DeWispelaere also supports the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, which provides scholarships to students entering STEM careers, and she is a member of the Planetary Society.

Dewispelaere said, "As a self-proclaimed space historian, I was thrilled when Mr. Sinibaldi contacted me about his book. Space enthusiasts are a small but close-knit group of people who study, collect, and teach about our past, present, and future in space. I am overwhelmed that he would be willing to include me in his book about John F. Kennedy and our quest to reach the moon."