There’s nothing better than spending your summer building rockets, working clues to solve a mock crime scene investigation, and building an obstacle course for a Nano Bug (a micro robotic creature) through computer coding. This is what it means to be a kid in a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) summer camp.
July 16-19 2018, personnel from STARBASE, the Department of Defense (DOD) Youth Program taught approximately eighty 4th - 6th graders (children of FAA employees) about STEM and the benefits of it as they continue along their education paths. The camp was held in the cafeteria on the campus of the Oklahoma Air National Guard just adjacent to the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center. Linda Davis, STARBASE Instructor said, “This is the first time we’ve hosted this at this location. The kids are receptive and the time passes so quickly. The kids are always surprised when they learn it’s already time to go!” The STARBASE program engages students through the inquiry-based curriculum with its "hands-on, mind-on" experiential activities. They study Newton's Laws and Bernoulli's principle; explore nanotechnology, navigation and mapping. They are captivated by engineering principles as they must ask questions, brainstorm solutions, plan the materials they will need for their solution, and then create a plan to test and retest. Mathematics are embedded throughout the curriculum and students use metric measurement, estimation, calculation geometry and data analysis to solve questions. Teamwork is emphasized as they work together to explore, explain, elaborate and evaluate concepts. Amanda Wright, Assistant STARBASE Instructor explains, “I enjoy watching the kids, grow, learn and interact. Their excitement is so fun. It’s one thing to tell them about it. It’s another thing to watch them do it and have fun!” The STARBASE instructors apply abstract principles to real world situations by giving lectures on the use of STEM in different settings and careers. “These kids are having fun. It’s fun to watch the group dynamics, as well as how they learn how to problem solve,” said Jennifer Defee, a STARBASE Instructor and retired school teacher of 20 years.
Since STARBASE camps are located in different branches of the military, the experience can be highly varied. Students may discuss how chemical fires are extinguished, how the injured are transported, they may see inside the cockpit of a plane, or test their skills with launching a rocket.
Dr. Steve Davis, a senior STARBASE Instructor who has been with STARBASE for over 10 years states, “This is a tremendous organization for young people to work together, to work in teams and to learn about engineering. The relationship that exists between the FAA/MMAC and STARBASE is beneficial, and hopefully it is as beneficial to FAA/MMAC as it is to us. Research tells us, that if we keep these kids interested and in engaged in STEM activities early on, they make better class choices in their electives as they get older.” Dr. Davis, a retired High School Principal and school teacher, has also been a vital part of the Aeronautical Center’s summer Aviation Career Education (ACE) Camp for nearly 13 years.
STARBASE academies typically work with school districts to support their standards of learning objectives. A teacher whose class attended DOD STARBASE stated, "STARBASE teaches science and math in ways that we wish we had the time, resources, and expertise to do in the regular classroom. It's experiential, exploratory learning with a direct tie to the standards." No matter what activity the children performed, they seemed to be engaged and committed to the task at hand. “STEM is where the future is headed and it’s important to get these young minds going in this direction,” commented Sam Jarmen, Lead STARBASE Instructor.
