Extracting Valuable Minerals & Tomorrow’s STEM Leaders: U.S. Industry Supports Local Students at Exponor 2026
Waldwick, NJ, USA and Antofagasta, Chile — May 22, 2026 — In just a few weeks, as the mining world gathers for one of the largest industry trade shows, a select group of individuals will be honored with scholarships to attend Space Camp USA in late July. The Endeavour Scholarship Foundation will proudly welcome four extraordinary students and one educator as participants in the 2026 class.
What makes their participation so unique is that these individuals were selected from Antofagasta, a region along the north of Chile that holds a series of mining towns. This area has a deep need for future engineers and is the location of the world’s most powerful telescopes and observatories, making the region one of the most famous global astronomical hubs on Earth.
The group will receive the scholarship awards during a ceremony held at Exponor 2026, the International Exhibition for Latin American taking place June 8–11, 2026, in Antofagasta, a leading mining region, where global energy leaders, suppliers, innovators, and investors will converge.
As part of the scholarship, students around the world are gifted a life-changing opportunity to experience immersive astronaut training, engage in hands-on training exercises, engineering challenges, team-building activities, and a thrilling simulated space mission, designed to ignite their curiosity and creativity. Meanwhile, STEM educators who receive the scholarship attend the prestigious Space Academy for Educators, where they gain practical tools and techniques aligned with National Science Education Standards to inspire the next wave of innovators in their classrooms.
The Endeavour Scholarship is more than just a program—it’s a catalyst for change. It fosters a mindset of lifelong learning, exposing participants to career and higher education opportunities through collaborations with industry leaders and government partners. Receiving the scholarship holds deep meaning and invaluable opportunity for participants.
“For me, this experience represents much more than a trip or an academic activity,” said Magdalena Orellana Lopez, a student recipient of this year’s Endeavour Scholarship. “It represents the opportunity to expand opportunities to students from small towns or public schools like mine. As a student…I understand that every personal achievement also belongs to my community.”
“As a teacher, I have learned that growth begin the moment we dare to imagine beyond our limits,” added Pilar Cabrera Guzmán, the educator scholarship recipient who will accompany the students this year. “Being part of this experience in Alabama [will] not only transform me as an educator, but it would also allow me to bring that inspiration back to my students and my entire school community. I want them to believe that their dreams are valid no matter where they come from.”
The 2026 scholarship class will also include three other students chosen out of a competitive applicant pool: Matiás Torres Gallegos, Sofía Oyarzún Jensen, and Martina Olivares Tapia. To select the recipients, a contest was launched across 18 schools in the Antofagasta Region, representing different communities and towns connected to industrial mining operations. The Antofagasta Region is a vast desert area that encompasses the Atacama Desert—the driest desert on Earth—along with astronomical bases and major mining exploration sites that utilize the latest technology and sustainable operations.
The award ceremony will be held during Exponor 2026 on Tuesday, June 9 at 12:15 PM in the Technical Talks Area, Room N°6, Hall Molybdenum. It is supported by leading industry associations such as the Asociación de Industriales de Antofagasta, Colegio de Ingenieros de Chile A.G., and the North American Northern Chile binational partnership.
The Endeavour Scholarship is sponsored by Kallman Foundation, a corporate social responsibility initiative by Kallman Worldwide – the organizer of the U.S. industry presence at the trade show for the last 16 years. Started in 2019, the Endeavour Scholarship Foundation honors the legacy of Apollo 15 Command Module Pilot Colonel Al Worden, legendary astronaut and global advocate for STEM education. Participants of the program will meet fellow students and educators from around the world, including Australia, Ukraine, the UK, and the USA.
In addition to sponsoring the scholarship, Kallman Worldwide will bring almost 50 U.S. companies to the trade show to exhibit within the USA Partnership Pavilion – a hub for industry innovation, collaboration, and business opportunity. This show represents the largest presence for Kallman Worldwide to date.
“It’s an honor to support this talented and ambitious group in their dreams to change their communities for the better,” said Tom Kallman, President & CEO of Kallman Worldwide. “As the organizer of the U.S. presence at international trade shows, we see how there is a growing need for talented future workforce. Endeavour aims to bridge that gap and supply future STEM leaders with the skills and connections they need to advance our world into a better future. On behalf of U.S. industry, I look forward to awarding these scholarships at Exponor.”
Of the nearly 50 companies in the USA Partnership Pavilion, 17 are new to Exponor and come from 21 different states. The companies represent a strong contingent of U.S. mining companies and leaders providing the latest technology, innovation, machinery and cutting-edge AI Equipment for a more sustainable, efficient and automated industry sector.
In addition to the scholarship award ceremony, the Pavilion will host a series of events intended to highlight the strong U.S. industry presence at the show. The events include the USA Partnership Pavilion Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony, where distinguished guests will officially open the Pavilion for business at Exponor 2026, a VIP tour of the Pavilion exhibitors, and a networking reception called Miner’s Night Out.
For a full list of USA Partnership Pavilion events, please visit: https://gatsby.events/kallmanworldwide/rsvp/register?e=exponor-2026-usapp-program-of-event
Kallman Creative Services, a sister company of Kallman Worldwide, also plays a part at the show – the company is responsible for building the MSTA Canadá and Ontario Pavilion, among other industry leaders.
To learn more about or connect with the U.S. companies present at the show, please visit: https://sourcehere.com/exhibit/3565
About the Endeavour Scholarship Foundation
Apollo 15 Command Module Pilot Colonel Al Worden and global advocate for science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEM) education, inspired the Endeavour Scholarship program in 2019. Managed by the nonprofit Kallman Foundation, a 501(c)(3), the program awards scholarship grants that enable teams of carefully selected secondary school age students, and their teacher chaperones, to participate in the world-renowned International Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama.
The program is funded through the generosity of private-sector corporations and individuals who share Al Worden’s passion for inspiring future generations to work across national boundaries and keep reaching for new horizons. For more information visit www.endeavourscholarship.org.
