Students enjoy their moment in the sun thanks to Johnson Space Center volunteers
2017-05-25
Ever heard the one about NASA engineers who walk into a middle school and build solar cars with students? The joke is that no one is sure who had more fun.
Last week, 10 volunteers dedicated more than 10 hours at Jamison Middle School, and even more hours at other participating schools, building solar cars with students, their teachers and other parent volunteers. This was the first year for solar cars at Jamison in Pearland, while other schools, such as Ed White Elementary in El Lago, have been veterans of the program, taking part for as long as 21 years. Preparation for the week involved recruiting NASA full-time, intern and co-op volunteers and holding training sessions.
Day 1 introduced terms to the classes such as torque, revolutions per minute and drag, and described how the week would unfold building up to race day. Some of the students jumped right in at the chance to draw, design and create the winning solar-car racer. Others were more hesitant. One group in particular began the first day not making eye contact. Given guidance on where to start, such as “What do we know? That almost all cars have four wheels,” they began their designs and had a sketch to be proud of at the end of the hour.
Anyone can volunteer, and the more the merrier to assist with construction and answer questions. Keep an eye out for the announcements leading up to next year’s event. NASA Johnson Space Center’s volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds, and students do not differentiate volunteers by directorates; they are mostly excited to work with someone from “NASA!”
By Day 4—race day—energy beamed from the students, who could barely restrain themselves from the racetrack. If they did get too close, their resulting shadow disabled the cars from moving, and the racing teams would respond for the students to back up.
While this may answer any doubts about who had more fun, it’s possibly a race too close to call. Nonetheless, the volunteers went out for slushies afterwards to celebrate.
Stacy Shutts
NASA Johnson Space Center
Last week, 10 volunteers dedicated more than 10 hours at Jamison Middle School, and even more hours at other participating schools, building solar cars with students, their teachers and other parent volunteers. This was the first year for solar cars at Jamison in Pearland, while other schools, such as Ed White Elementary in El Lago, have been veterans of the program, taking part for as long as 21 years. Preparation for the week involved recruiting NASA full-time, intern and co-op volunteers and holding training sessions.
Day 1 introduced terms to the classes such as torque, revolutions per minute and drag, and described how the week would unfold building up to race day. Some of the students jumped right in at the chance to draw, design and create the winning solar-car racer. Others were more hesitant. One group in particular began the first day not making eye contact. Given guidance on where to start, such as “What do we know? That almost all cars have four wheels,” they began their designs and had a sketch to be proud of at the end of the hour.
Anyone can volunteer, and the more the merrier to assist with construction and answer questions. Keep an eye out for the announcements leading up to next year’s event. NASA Johnson Space Center’s volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds, and students do not differentiate volunteers by directorates; they are mostly excited to work with someone from “NASA!”
By Day 4—race day—energy beamed from the students, who could barely restrain themselves from the racetrack. If they did get too close, their resulting shadow disabled the cars from moving, and the racing teams would respond for the students to back up.
While this may answer any doubts about who had more fun, it’s possibly a race too close to call. Nonetheless, the volunteers went out for slushies afterwards to celebrate.
Stacy Shutts
NASA Johnson Space Center
