COEUR d'ALENE - Steven Hallgren is taking a giant leap for a North Idaho high school student, and he knows it.

The 16-year-old is one of a select group of Gem State high school juniors headed in August for Idaho's first science and aerospace summer academy. It's part of a competitive program offered by the Idaho Department of Education, NASA, Boise State University and a host of other science and technology-related agencies and businesses from throughout the state.

"I enjoy physics and science, and aerospace engineering is not something that's easily found in a high school curriculum," Hallgren said. The Rathdrum teen is one of 44 students chosen to participate in the space camp.

They will attend presentations given by NASA astronauts, design a human mission to Mars and complete other projects under the mentorship of NASA engineers and Idaho science and technology experts.

The expenses for the week-long camp, which takes place at NASA Ames Research Center in California, Boise State University, Micron Technology and the Idaho Discovery Center in Boise, are being paid this first year by the Idaho Department of Education.

The Idaho Science and Aerospace Scholars program is competitive, and offers 11th-graders the chance to take a NASA-developed course on space exploration through the Idaho Digital Learning Academy.

"It was a semester-long online class that built up to the camp," Hallgren said.

In order to take the course, students must have at least a 2.7 grade point average, an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) studies, and need to have taken Algebra I, Geometry, Earth or Physical Science and Biology.

There were 73 Idaho students who took the course this year, and those who performed the highest were selected for the summer academy.

Why did Hallgren go for it?

"It's an opportunity to take a class that's not necessarily offered at my school," he said.

Student Nicholas Cordell, of St. Maries, was also selected to participate.