Rocketry Planet

The first phase of the third annual Reach for the Stars Rocket Contest has been completed. The three national winners of the year long competition will be coming to the Astronaut Hall of Fame in Cape Canaveral, Florida on Saturday, August 1st to receive their trophies.  Karalee Corbeil, Haywood County, North Carolina; Taylor Goodwin, Colorado Springs, Colorado and Faylyn Emma, Gainesville, Florida took top honors.

During the competition, contestants were required to build and launch a solid-fuel powered rocket. To win the local event they had to have the closest average landing to a target after two launches in this challenging spot-landing event. Each of the contestants flew a model from Estes, recognized as the world leader in educational rocketry. The local winner’s information was forwarded to contest headquarters to be compared to all other entries during the year long competition. The contest promotes the Helping Kids Reach for the Stars Program – an educational outreach of the Christa McAuliffe / Challenger Education Center and fosters an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) studies.

On August 1st and 2nd the winners get to receive their trophies and launch their rockets in celebration at the prestigious Astronaut Hall of Fame. They will continue their celebration at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The winners and their families get a personal tour of the Hall of Fame, visit the Astronaut Memorial to receive a framed Space Shuttle Challenger commemorative coin signed by Christa McAuliffe’s mother, Grace Corrigan, see the historical Rocket Garden, ride the Shuttle Launch Experience and more.

Tickets to the Astronaut Hall of Fame and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex for winners and their families where provided by DNC Parks.  Lodging and breakfast are compliments of the award winning Country Inns and Suites of Cape Canaveral. Without the generosity of these companies, this winners’ celebration would not be possible.

The contest presents a fantastic opportunity to young rocketeers. Contest directors Jack and Kathy Colpas boast that, “national winners receive memories to last a lifetime and bragging rights for generations to come.” For more details about Helping Kids Reach for the Stars and the Reach for the Stars Rocket Contest go to www.TheRocketman.net.

Karalee Corbeil competed at her Junaluska Elementary School in Haywood County, North Carolina. Teacher Myra Clemmons ran the event, administrator Debbie Davis assisted with the judging. Karalee is the first national winner in the Reach for the Stars Rocket Contest from North Carolina.

Taylor Goodwin won the local event run at Penrose Elementary School in the home of model rocketry. Penrose, Colorado. The contest was run by teacher, Michael March who claims. “We had so much fun – we’ll be back (in the competition) next year!”

Faylynn Emma is the first teacher to win in the open level of competition. She competed with other educators at G.WIZ, the hands-on science museum in Sarasota, Florida during the Florida League of Middle Schools annual conference. Ms Emma teaches at Howard Bishop Middle School in Gainesville, Florida and plans to get her class to challenge other middle schools in the 2010 contest.

In phase two of the Reach for the Stars Rocket Contest, three more national winners will receive their trophies from famed author Homer Hickam (Rocket Boys) at the October Sky Festival in Coalwood, West Virginia. These winners will be announced on August 15th.

CONTACT:

Jack Colpas
Helping Kids Reach for the Stars
Phone/Fax (941) 955-3958
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
www.TheRocketman.net