SySTEM Presentation
Educating and encouraging young minds in STEM is one of the most rewarding parts of the Phoenix Satellite Initiative’s journey. There’s nothing better than seeing students’ faces light up with excitement about the work Phx Sat is doing.
Last week, Phx Sat leadership Sarah Rogers and Anthony McCourt visited roughly 80 sixth to ninth grade students at SySTEM Phoenix, a local charter school in the downtown Phoenix area dedicated to encouraging STEM education at the middle and high school levels.
Sarah and Anthony shared a presentation detailing CubeSats and the Urban Heat Island effect and encouraged students to participate in live polls throughout the presentation via their Chromebooks. The polls kept students engaged, and they loved getting to be a part of the presentation.
Sarah showed a model of the team’s CubeSat to students to provide them with a visual of the size, and they couldn’t believe something as small as a loaf of bread is able to make a mission into space. According to one of the polls in the presentation, the students initially thought satellites were roughly the size of a school bus. Sarah and Anthony passed the satellite model around the room for students to examine and hold, and they were excited by the fact that what was inside of it were life-size models of the actual hardware that will be used, made from 3D printed material.
Students left with stickers and CubeSat fold-ups, and the reaction to the presentation was overwhelmingly positive. Sarah and Anthony had a conversation with students after the presentation about implementing sustainable practices and how the Phx Sat team became involved in the project in the beginning. Sarah said it was one of the highlights of the experience for her. She was happy to see students excited about the idea that even at a young age, they could get involved in something such as a NASA mission – that it’s not required they be a qualified "rocket scientist,” all they need is a drive and support.
The Phoenix Satellite Initiative loves sharing their knowledge and experiences with students interested in STEM and is looking forward to future educational outreach! If you are a teacher or student interested in having the Phx Sat team visit your school, please visit our Contact Us page.