How a Penn State program aims to launch State College students’ interest in STEM fields
As ninth-grader London Judy watched her rocket head off into the sky, she didn’t expect the product of her monthslong effort to come back in one piece. But as she and her family trekked through the weeds of a Penn State research field Thursday night to reach the rocket’s landing point, she was pleasantly surprised.
“I’m actually really proud that I have mine almost completely intact,” London said. “Wow, I am really happy with this one.”
During the school year, London and 19 other State College Area students from grades 8-12 met twice a week to build rockets as part of a collaboration with Penn State researchers that’s now in its second year. The program culminated in a big way — a rocket launch at the Pasto Agricultural Museum.
Penn State professor Randy McEntaffer started the Rockets for Inclusive Science Education (RISE) program in 2021 to foster a passion for science in underrepresented students. For McEntaffer, the STEM fields are having a pipeline issue that can be solved by showing students that they too can be scientists.
“Getting to this point, it’s the culmination of everything that they’ve put into this,” McEntaffer said Thursday. “This is really important to them but it’s really important to us as well.”
Out of the 20 students who participated in this year’s program, ten completed their rockets in time for launch on Thursday. The rockets are equipped with a camera and a small computer the students coded, measuring acceleration, temperature and altitude.
For London, the project made her realize her passion for science, convincing her to change her schedule next year to take physics and two math classes.
Marty Klanchar, a researcher at Penn State who joined the program this year, said the students built the rockets from scratch, learning to solder parts, code the computer programs and pack the rockets.
“What I found is that these kids are such a wiz with new technology,” Klanchar said. “It’s just such a learning experience for them.”
Students constructed and designed the rockets themselves during the twice-weekly meetings, with RISE instructors and grad students on-hand to help if needed. Recent Penn State graduate Cole Anderson said it’s important for students to understand that scientists learn from trial and error, and asking questions is an essential part of learning.
“When we’re kids we have such a specific view of scientists,” Anderson said. “They’re super smart, they know everything, if you have a question they can answer it. That’s really not the case.”
The program’s long-term goal is to diversify the future of science and help the younger generation find their passion in STEM fields, Tracy Langkilde, Dean of the Eberly College of Science at Penn State, wrote in an email.
“The RISE program immerses students from groups historically underrepresented in the sciences in hand-on physics, astronomy, and engineering, allowing these students to create a scientific identity and envision themselves as professionals in these fields,” Langkilde wrote.