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U.S. Space Force Program Brings STEM to Watertown Students

Members of the U.S. Space Force spoke to Watertown City School District fourth graders about their jobs, space and more through the free STEMtoSpace Engagements program, which aims to raise awareness and interest.

US Space Force logo
(TNS) — Zip ties, pipe insulation, rubber bands, string and colorful paper fins. Separately, they don't seem all that exciting, but together, they form symbols of some of the opportunities waiting for students later in their lives — not to mention pretty cool rockets they can launch down the halls of their school.

This week, Watertown City School District fourth graders are engaging in activities with the U.S. Space Force. Through its Fort Drum Military Liaison, Wendy O'Sullivan, the district learned about the free STEMtoSpace Engagements, which is a program offered by the Space Force designed to facilitate engagement with school classrooms. The goal is to raise awareness and highlight the importance of science, technology, engineering and math, STEM in space, as well as the service's contributions to national security and daily life.

Through the program, Watertown students are speaking to various members of the Space Force about their jobs, space and more, getting to see what their futures could hold if they pursue STEM paths.

Amanda Jackson's fourth grade classroom in North Elementary School was abuzz with excitement Wednesday morning. Instead of weekend plans or hype over the upcoming holidays, students talked about space, rockets and astronauts.

"It's a great opportunity for them because it opens up a new career, possibly, and they all love science and technology and building things," Mrs. Jackson said. "So for them to see how it actually works firsthand is excellent."

She said that her class loves building with straws, Legos and anything else that they can use, so they'd been excited to make their model rockets for a week.

Tara Elmer, a technology integration specialist, and Lisa Blank, director of STEM programs for the district, are going into fourth grade classrooms this week working on building and testing rockets with students. Classes are also watching a video to learn about the Space Force and submit questions to presenters to be answered in virtual question-and-answer sessions this week.

The students quickly picked up the art of rocket making and were ready to head out in small groups to test their creations in the hallway. While there were a few mishaps and rocket breaks, they were easily fixed. The students all agreed that the activity was a fun way to spend the day.

One student, Yosieo Torres, 10, shared that Wednesday was his birthday and said making rockets and speaking with an astronaut was a cool way to spend it. He said he had fun playing with the rocket and that the activity and learning in class have gotten him interested in STEM.

"I think if we can inspire kids now at a young age with activities that keep them engaged in learning a little bit about the careers, I think there's a lot more likelihood that you can influence their trajectory moving forward," Mrs. Blank said.

On Wednesday, students got to interact virtually with Space Force Capt. Ryan Anderson. Some of their many questions for him were: How do you deal with medical care in space? Is space an infinite void? What do astronauts eat in space? He answered them all, to an enthralled audience.

On Tuesday, the program was at Ohio Street Elementary with Technical Sgt. Brandon Wunn; Thursday it's at Knickerbocker with Maj. Natasha Peeples; and Friday will be at Starbuck and Sherman Street with Maj. Adrian Law and Capt. Matthew Johnson.

According to Mrs. Blank, a grant through the Department of Defense Education Activity is what helped to provide the rocket lesson, paying for all the supplies.

"It was a lot of fun, I think the kids had a blast," she said. "I think overall, it went really well. I'm just thankful to have this opportunity for kids."

Roger Jobson, 9, said Wednesday's activities were awesome; he loved that he got to build a rocket and hear from an actual astronaut. Interested in space, he said he wanted to learn more about it, and this was the perfect opportunity.

Madison Cain, 10, agreed with her fellow fourth graders that the day was full of fun and said she really liked making her rocket and helping her friends with theirs, too. The burning question on her mind for Capt. Anderson was: What happens when astronauts get sick in space?

"We just really appreciate the support of the community to help our students make connections between what we do in school and what they might do in the future, I think that's really important," Mrs. Blank said. "I think especially in a rural geographical area like this, this sort of opportunity is really critical because how else do kids learn about these opportunities? And to interact with somebody who's really a member of Space Force is just really powerful."

©2021 Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, N.Y.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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