There is nothing really for you here, huh? — Kent Greenwood
Imagine the thrill of designing, building, and launching your own rocket. Imagine crafting and programming your own model airplane. Picture collaborating with fellow students to solve real-world problems in aerospace and physics, with the benefit of getting hands-on experience that is applicable to internships and jobs! Furthermore, this allows students to participate in a multitude of national competitions and earn scholarships and other prizes, literally by setting things on fire with your friends!
Our school is home to many talented and unique students, but currently, those with a passion for aerospace engineering and space sciences lack a focused outlet to explore their interests. What better way to provide that enrichment than building anything that flies to your heart’s content . . . with friends. Given the proper funding, it also allows a creative outlet to make art pieces fly.
Hands-on STEM Learning
Rocketry is the ultimate interdisciplinary field, combining physics, math, engineering, and computer science. A club would provide students with practical, hands-on experience in these areas. For example, you, dear reader, could build model rockets, program flight computers, or designs experiments as payloads. By tackling real engineering challenges, students would gain valuable that complement their classroom learning.
Real-World Applications
The aerospace industry is booming, with companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin breaking barriers every day. A rocketry club would allow students to to simulate real-world projects, from designing rockets to exploring, say, propulsion systems. This kind of experience is invaluable for students planning to pursue careers in STEM fields, as it gives them a head start on the complexities of engineering design and teamwork. Not to mention it counts towards required experience time on most applications!
Leadership And Teamwork
A rocketry club would encourage collaboration, leadership and project management. Members could take on roles such as project leads, designers, safety officers, learning how to work as a team to achieve ambitious goals. These soft skills are just as critical as technical skills in any career.
An Outlet For Creativity
Building rockets isn’t just about following instructions or making the most high-performance design; in rocketry you can make quite literally anything fly given enough thrust. Of course, there are questions like how we can go higher, carry heavier loads, or fly more efficiently—but even those can be set aside in the pursuit of making something cool!
Recognition Opportunities
A rocketry club could participate in regional and national competitions, such as the Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC), or NASA's Student Launch program. Competing against other schools and teams would give our students a chance to shine on a larger stage and bring pride to our school community.
Student Interest
To gauge student interest in a rocketry club or related engineering club, I conducted a school wide poll among students and staff. Admittedly, the results aren’t as positive as a prospective student might hope for, but there are a few respondents who are potentially interested in such a club.
Out of eighteen respondents, seven of them see definite value in such a group, and a further seven might see value in a group, with the other four seeing no value. Out of the fourteen respondents who do see or might see value, three would join the club if it was created, and seven are open to the idea depending on schedules and other factors.
Even with a small base of respondents, over two-thirds of respondents can see some amount of value in pursuing the creation of an aerospace club. Furthermore, roughly two-thirds of respondents are open to the idea of joining such a club. These results are a strong indication that there is student interest at North Scott, and it only takes a small team to make big things happen.
Reach For The Stars!
Let’s take the first step towards creating a program that will inspire the next generation of innovators.With the right support from students, teachers, and administrators, a rocketry club could become a defining feature of our school, preparing students for exciting futures while fostering a passion for science and exploration.
If you are interested in joining or supporting the creation of a rocketry club, please reach out. Together we can build something beautiful and literally shoot for the stars.
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