Rocketry Planet

Students from 26 school districts across the state gathered on a ranch between Kerrville and Fredericksburg last weekend to fire 10-12-foot rockets they built in class, and Ingram students may be joining them next year.

Fredericksburg High School Teacher Brett Williams started the program in 1996 to increase his students' interest in math and science and the program has taken off, just like the rockets.

FHS teacher Brett Williams, in white shirt and hat, helps prepare for launch a rocket built by a girls team from Eastwood High School in southeast Houston.

"It's problem-based learning," Williams said Saturday at Rockets '09, the event where 46 rockets were scheduled to be launched. "The kids have to figure out how to accomplish the mission."

The program led to the founding of Ignite, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Fredericksburg that works to incorporate a problem-solving education into schools through project-based curriculum and teacher training.

Ingram ISD Superintendent J.T. Stroder joined Hunt ISD school board member and Ingram school board liaison John Spikes, who has worked with Ignite for three years, at an Ignite dinner Thursday and viewed rocket launchings Sunday at the Paul Meek Ranch.

Stroder, who outlined his education philosophy in early April and told the Ingram school board he believes real-world applications are important in the classroom, was impressed with what he saw.

"Experiential learning, that's about as good as it gets," Stroder said Monday.

He said he spoke with Williams at the dinner.

"He told us there's a school that had signed up for this year and has dropped out, so that's leaving a slot open for us to slip in this summer," Stroder said. "So we're in the process at the high school of making sure all of our application material is in and hopefully we'll send two teachers to training this summer."

Ignite trains high schools to implement the SystemsGo Aeroscience curriculum that has a record of inspiring students to pursue engineering careers.

Spikes said the curriculum has been sanctioned by the Texas Education Agency.

"This particular program has just been so successful in getting students interested in math and engineering," Spikes said.

Some of its graduates have gone on to M.I.T., NASA, the Naval Academy and other careers in aerospace industries.

Spikes added that NASA has supported the program and contributed to it.

"Kids tend to get interested in school when they see the culmination of not just learning, but doing," he said. "I'm just so excited Ingram wants to do it. I'm really thrilled."

During the school year, students build rockets with objectives of traveling a mile high with a one-pound payload, or going two miles high and breaking the sound barrier.

Spikes said Fredericksburg students have even built rockets 18-20 feet long that are fired at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

The Rockets '09 event last weekend was a sizable enterprise. Many tents were set up on the Paul Meek Ranch, and there two launching pads were employed.

There were activities for the public throughout, and on Friday, students from area middle schools, including Ingram, attended. Visitors could build and launch their own model rockets.

Representatives from higher education and the aerospace industry had booths set up, including the Texas A&M Engineering Department, Texas Tech Hill Country, Kettering University and NASA.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration manned a remote weather station to provide forecasts and the Lower Colorado River Authority provided two communications trailers and dispatch units to help staff stay in contact with air traffic controllers and law enforcement agencies.

Signs pointing out Rocket '09 were posted on Hwy 16 and there was free parking, security, food and T-shirt concessions, and informational and activity booths.

Tours of the testing and prep areas were open to the public and a public address system informed visitors of launch progress throughout the weekend.

Organizers reminded the public that the area should be considered an experimental testing range — mobility was limited, access controlled and visitors needed to be aware this was the first flight of all rockets.

Ignite officials at Rockets '09 emphasized that aeroscience is not a "gifted and talented" program, but is for all students.

"The key is the kids," said Dave Campbell, an Ignite board member and CEO of Heartland Enterprises in Fredericksburg. "It electrifies the kids."

More information on the program can be obtained at the website http://www.igniteeducation.org/.

Copyright © 2009, West Kerr Current.