Great futures STEM from Starbase Robins

“The rockets red glare. The bombs …”

Well, not exactly. The first, yes. The second, hardly. After all, the ones involved in this case were some of Tucker Elementary School’s fifth graders. They were part of Starbase Robins, a Department of Defense youth program.

It, explained Starbase Robins Director Wesley Fonval, Jr., consists of a 25-hour curriculum.

“So,” he said, “we’re centered around Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. They do a lot around 3D modeling, printing, you know, learning about the different ways how STEM affects their future.

“So getting them ready to enter the STEM workforce and getting them ready to find, you know, take (for example) some of the jobs that are on base that’s centered around science.”

Starbase Robins, according to its website, began in 1989 as an idea from Barbara Koscak, a Michigan elementary school teacher; Retired Brig. Gen. David Arendts, Commander of the 127th Fighter Wing at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan and Lt. Col. Rico Racosky, an F-16 pilot and creator of dreams + action = Reality.

“Their dream was to create a program which responded to the needs of youth through a curricula of goal setting skills and stimulating hands-on math and science activities, coupled with drug demand reduction,” reads the website. Also, according to it, they have also graduated more than 17,500 students.

Fonval said they do about 120 classes in a year’s time and their reach includes not just Houston, but Twiggs, Peach, Bibb and Jones.

The children of course “love it,” he said, shooting off rockets on Friday marking this class’s last day and the initial blast off and chasing parachutes appearing to be the most popular part of it.

“Oh say can you see” more information for your own child? Yes. Visit starbaserobins.org.