Space Day shows students the fun side of science, math

Elementary students viewed a star-studded night sky during class.

Older students sent rockets soaring across classrooms.

A NASA astronaut and a Lockheed-Martin space operations engineer shared their stories.

It was all part of the second annual Space Day at Discovery Canyon Campus in Academy School District 20. Kindergartners through high school seniors at the school participated in a mix of activities tied to science on Friday.

“We’re not trying to make astronauts or scientists,” said high school science teacher Matthew Allner. “We’re trying to get them to see that school is fun and there are a lot of avenues to pursue.”

From the smiles and sounds of excitement around the school, it seemed to be succeeding.
Senior Kaitelynn Hardin, 17, said she doesn’t plan on a science career — it’s not her thing.

However, she said she’s glad that she’s had so much exposure to the different science and math options.

She’s grown to like science, and sharing her skills with elementary students Friday was a bonus.

“It’s a great experience. A lot of kids don’t get to do it,” she said.

STEM education — focused on science, technology, engineering and math — is a growing focus at schools across the country. Discovery Canyon is focused on science and mathematics, especially space and aviation sciences. It also offers the International Baccalaureate program.

Teachers and school officials across the region say hands-on experiences make a huge difference in engaging students, and at least gets them thinking about pursuing science beyond the high school requirements.

Michael Wilcox, 16 a junior, said he hated science for a while, but his teacher kept talking about astronomy. He gave it a try and it changed his mind.

“I think it would be a lot fun to do something for NASA,” he said.

Allner was the lead Space Day organizer both years, and he doesn’t intend to stop. Events and activities were all over the school, so it wasn’t just about a speaker or two touting science, he said.

This year, his astrobiology students took science lessons to the elementary wing of the school, pairing hands-on activities with the guest speakers.

Warren Layfield, founder of the Colorado Rocket Society, spoke to fourth-graders about the history of rockets and space flight. Then the students built simple paper rockets or learned how motors worked.

Of course, some students were keen on science before Space Day.

One of Allner’s students, 17-year-old Aaron Reyes, a junior, is set on a science career, specifically astrophysics within the Air Force.

“It’s fun to be in these kinds of classes,” he said.

Governor’s visit

While the second Space Day at Discovery Canyon Campus had been in the works for some time, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s visit came as surprise.

He was at the school for about an hour, and learned about STEM initiatives in Academy School District 20, Colorado Springs School District 11 and Falcon School District 49.

He didn’t say much during the presentation on STEM programs, but appeared enthusiastic when students on the Cougars Gone Wired robotics team from Coronado High School in D-11 presented their competition robot and its mini-bot.

Hickenlooper mentioned education frequently during Thursday’s Jan. 12 State of the State speech, although funding remains a challenge.

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