Local astronaut donates $10,000 to Lynchburg STEM program for ‘next generation of explorers’

LYNCHBURG, Va. – A local astronaut is giving back to the Lynchburg community.

Leland Melvin, a retired NASA astronaut, donated $10,000 to the Jubilee Family Development Center in Lynchburg.

Melvin included this message with his donation: “Thank you for helping inspire the next generation of explorers! Godspeed on the journey!”

The $10,000 donation will support the center’s STEM program and Summer Enrichment Camp.

The Jubilee Family Development Center is a nonprofit that provides “high quality academic, athletic and occupational programs that foster personal, social and spiritual growth and the stability of families.”

Melvin worked at NASA Langley Research Center and was later appointed head of NASA Education. He served as the co-chair on the White House’s Federal Coordination in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S.T.E.M.) Education Task Force.