Blast Off! Luna Learns Rocket Science through Unleashing Potential
Program: Enrichment Camps
Outside, the children gathered on the sidewalk, facing a field. They’d just spent the past few hours engaged in rocket science. They’d built the rockets, and now they were ready to launch them.
“All the way to space!” said Luna.
Well, not quite. But it did make it to the far end of the field.
They were at the Challenger Learning Center near Ferguson, where they were “junior astronauts” participating in a two-hour program that included a space mission simulation and a rocket-building workshop.
Now, the next time somebody tells them “It’s not rocket science,” they can say otherwise. In fact, their instructor used their time together to empower them around that very phrase.
“Rocket science is difficult, and you’re capable of doing difficult things,” he said.
Each child was paired with a teammate. Luna’s teammate was Amelia. Together, they rolled paper around a PVC pipe to get the body shape, then taped on a nose cone and added fins. Luna really got into it, and even worked ahead, adding on the nose cone before everybody else. She was ready to launch the rocket all the way to Jupiter, her favorite planet.
Exposure to Enriching Activities
This was one of many field trips for children in Unleashing Potential’s summer enrichment program. Children learn best when they are provided enriching activities and experiences, especially outside the traditional classroom setting, so Unleashing Potential schedules weekly field trips to expose children to different specialties in science, technology, engineering, cultural arts and mathematics, including rocket science.
“I love the field trips,” Luna said. “Summer enrichment is really great.”
*Actual student/name has been changed to protect child’s identity
