Outreach
Prior to the start of the NASA Student Launch competition CRW participated in several outreach events. The Mechanical
and Aerospace engineering open house event was target at college age students and CRW members supported a booth to get
potential engineering students interested in the program here at UAH. The Girls in Science and Engineering Day was targeted at girls from 3rd to 6th grade and had CRW
team members present with several of the previous year’s rockets which the girls were able to hold and ask questions about. CRW also participated in a
joint outreach effort at the Propulsion Research Center for homeschoolers where the students were given a tour of the PRC. Several key
lessons were learned from these events that helped guide the outreach effort of the CRW team. Having a structured event with an end goal is critical for a good outreach plan. Having an activity that supports
the concepts learned during an information stage in the event is critical for engaging the students and enforcing the concepts learned.
Charger Rocket Works has constructed an outreach packet that can be pitched to various schools and STEM events to cover the basics of rockets. This packet is modular in nature and this allows it to be easily adjusted to match different grade levels and fill different time slots. This will be done by separating the information in the outreach packet into categories that correspond to different difficulties. More complex concepts such as drag or how thrust curves are used to predict apogee could be placed in slides reserved for more advanced classes or when more time can be devoted to their explanation. Slides have been constructed and plans are in place to consult an elementary school teacher and a middle school teacher to insure the slides are appropriate for their age groups.
The primary focus of the slides is based around soda bottle rockets. These allow the students to explore the concepts of rockets in a safe controlled environment but still in a hands on manner. Rather than just see a rocket launch demonstrated they get to see the results their decisions had on the flight of the rocket. This is a powerful tool that will leave a lasting impression on the students and inspire them to continue exploring.
Outside of the dedicated outreach packet the team supported the Science Olympiad and the MAE Open house. The Science Olympiad is a national competition where middle and high school students compete in various competitions that are all based around concepts of science and engineer. Eight team members assisted the student’s in four different competitions. The students were divided into teams and competed against each other under strict rules . The MAE Open house is an opportunity for potential freshmen to visit the school and see what the Mechanical and Aerospace depart has to offer. Charger Rocket Works brought previous rockets and discussed the team’s involvement in the NASA Student Launch competition.
