A big thank you to Another Broken Egg Cafe Warner Robins for serving breakfast on the final day of our summer academy to the students and staff. Students could choose between Another Broken Egg's famous cinnamon roll french toast or a chicken biscuit with fruit. Our staff was treated to shrimp and grits. On behalf of the staff and STARBASE ROBINS STEMpowered GIrls and Super STEM Boys, we would like to thank you for your generosity and support of our program.

STARBASE ROBINS STEM Adventure Summer Academies provided students with two full weeks of STEM Empowerment to include lessons and activities packed with fun and excitement. Students were exposed to entrepreneurship, the Idea to Pitch Challenge, drones, coding, and robotics, to name a few. This year, we partnered with Dr. Melissa Middlebrooks and Carmen Frame from Georgia Power, Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), Drs. Hodges and Ferguson from Critter Fixer Veterinary Hospital, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and The Fort Valley State University's College of Agriculture. Our partnerships help to leverage our curriculum and instruction by exposing students to enriched and expanded learning opportunities. You will read all about these partnerships in our newsletter.

From ideas to reality …. this year, STARBASE collaborated with VentureLab to bring Entrepreneurship to STEM. Entrepreneurship is not just about starting companies; it is a skilled way of thinking. During the two-week STEM Academy, students had the opportunity to become young entrepreneurs, which is particularly useful in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (STEM). The students were immersed in many facets of entrepreneurship. Students engaged in activities such as Wacky Inventions, Creation Stations, Interviews, and the Idea to Pitch Challenge. Students pitched their final prototypes, “Shark Tank Edition,” to a panel of judges, peers, family, and friends on the last day of our summer academy. Click below to read the full article.

This year, students attending our summer academies had the opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship. Students completed different activities and team-building exercises to prepare them for their work to create a business or product that solves a problem. We invited Kathleen Lanman from the United States Patent and Trademark Office of Education to be our guest speaker. Ms. Lanman gave students an overview of the different types of Intellectual Property (patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets). She also shared why entrepreneurs should consider protecting their Intellectual Property and provided resources to support the students in their work to make final preparations for their inventions and pitches for the Idea to Pitch Challenge. We want to thank Ms. Lanman for sharing her knowledge with our students.

Critter Fixer Vet For A Day Program was a huge success! Students became a Vet for a Day. They began the day engaging with Drs. Ferguson and Hodges going through the What Did I Eat presentation? Dr. Ferguson led the group through different exercises following the What Did I Eat presentation to determine the animal's diagnosis and treatment plan. Drs. Ferguson and Hodges led the students in reciting the Veterinarian's Oath before they began their Vet for a Day journey. Students were placed in groups and rotated to five stations (Exotic animals, ultrasound, exam room, suture, and the lab). During these stations, students had the opportunity to get hands-on experience. Drs. Terrance Ferguson and Vernard Hodges believe that if children are introduced to the veterinary profession early, they will be more likely to pursue that career path. We want to thank Drs. Ferguson, Hodges, and the Vet for a Day team for partnering with us to provide this experience to our students.

Students had the opportunity to tour Fort Valley State University's (FVSU) state-of-the-art College of Agriculture facilities. Students toured the Meat Technology Center, the Ruminant Research Extension Center, the Life on the Farm Exhibit, and the new Family Life Development Center to hear a brief presentation from Billy Brown about how Fort Valley State University's Cooperative Extension Program is working to change how Georgians use home energy. This initiative is made possible through the Georgia Residential Energy Efficiency Network (GREEN) Project. Students were given energy-efficient light bulbs to take home. The last building visited was the Veterinary Technology Department which includes access to the research labs and the Safe Center. Our long-standing partnership with The Fort Valley State University (FVSU) College of Agriculture helps students correlate STEM and agriculture.

Onshape is a professional-grade 3D Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Software that manages all data in the cloud. Onshape allows teachers and students to work together in real-time to create and produce digital models that can be printed using a 3-D printer. Engineers use Onshape to work collaboratively in real time on different projects. Onshape provides students with exposure to CAD Software used by industry engineers. Students and educators can access Onshape for free on any device, anywhere, anytime. Our STEMpowered Girls and Super STEM Boys had the opportunity to use Onshape to create personalized dog tags. The students’ designs were saved in a convertible file and printed on our 3-D printer. The students' personalized dog tags were placed on a chain for the students to take home.

We introduced our STEMpowered Girls and Super STEM Boys to the world of robotics. The students used the Spike Prime robotics kits to build, program, and code their robots. Students use their imaginations to create different things like frogs, a man riding a bicycle, and a safety deposit box. This year, we included drones as part of our curriculum. Students were excited about the opportunity to build, code, and fly drones. Students used the FTW (For the Win) Code to program their drones to fly. Exposure to robotics and drones helps students learn math and science, develop critical thinking and soft skills. These skills are essential in preparing students for future success in the classroom, the workforce, and beyond.

This summer, Georgia Tech Research Institute partnered with STARBASE ROBINS to share their STEM Road Kits with our students. GTRI scientists and engineers traveled with portable science demonstrations and activities to give students a hands-on, immersive experience with exciting experiments aligned with the Georgia Science Standards. On June 23, 2023, students rotated to six classrooms and spent thirty minutes observing and testing each station. Our STEMpowered Girls and Super STEM Boys explored topics ranging from electrostatics, rotational physics, and multispectral imagers. They enjoyed yummy treats that were frozen in liquid nitrogen! Thank you, Jack Wood, Moi Reilly, and the Georgia Tech Research Institute team, for collaborating and showcasing the STEM Road Kits with our students.

STARBASE 3.0 is a DOD STEM Educational Outreach Program that serves high school students enrolled in the Junior ROTC Programs. In collaboration with Broward County’s Junior ROTC Program, STARBASE Robins coordinated a three-day Rocket Science Summer Academy from June 13-15, 2023. STARBASE ROBINS staff included Lead Instructor Kylie Youmans, Instructor Zeineb Yousif, 2.0 Program Coordinator Andrew K. Dennis, Jr., and Executive Director Wesley Fondal. Approximately three hundred high school students participated in this academy hosted by NOVA Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The cadets learn the basic principles of Rocket Science, Newton's Laws of Motion, Space Exploration, and Aeronautics daily through hands-on NASA-inspired activities. The staff and cadets had a blast! Click below to read the full article.

Thrusting here, dragging there, lifting off in the air! Drones! This year, STARBASE ROBINS held our first 3-day Pop-Up Drone Summer Academy. Our STEMpowered Girls and Super STEM Boys learned the science behind flying drones and the importance of drone technology in our world. Students learned basic coding and programming skills to fly their drones. Students were given different challenges that ranged in difficulty level from easy to advanced. The students had the opportunity to code and program their drones to fly through an obstacle course and race other students' drones using the FreeFlight Mini App. This experience provides students with exposure to aeronautics and engineering. Drones help students correlate how STEM concepts can be applied and utilized in the real world.

The first of our summer academy journey started in Hancock County with our second annual Full STEAM Ahead Summer Academy! This year’s academy was centered around the book “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.” The book is about a boy who defied all odds to create a windmill out of scraps to help power his African village suffering from the effects of drought and famine. Students started by reading William Kamkwamba’s story and discussed many moral questions aligned with the theme. Students were presented with their challenge for the week to build functioning windmills. Throughout the five days, students learned different parts of electricity, energy, basic robotics, and how to code and program drones. Along with a field trip to their current or future middle school to experience their STEM lab. By the end of the camp, the students created full-functioning windmills and had a new perspective thanks to William's story of wisdom and willpower to overcome the impossible. Students also visited the Museum of Aviation to experience the Mission Quest Program. Students had the opportunity to fly a mission in the B-1, C-17, or F-15 flight simulators.

This video tribute celebrates the beautiful life of Albert Henry Rogers and his time with STARBASE ROBINS and the Museum of Aviation. Mr. Rogers passed away on June 3, 2023. Mr. Rogers began his journey with STARBASE ROBINS as an Instructor in 1996. He was later promoted to the Director's position when the existing Director, Ms. Schencke, was chosen to start a STARBASE program in Louisiana. Mr. Rogers would become the second Director of the STARBASE ROBINS Program. In 1998, Mr. Rogers hired Mr. Wesley Fondal Jr. as the Instructor and Ms. Martha Lockhart as the Administrative Assistant. In 1999, Mr. Wesley Fondal Jr. became the next Director of the STARBASE ROBINS Program. Mr. Rogers continued his journey with the Museum of Aviation until his retirement in 2004. After retirement, Mr. Rogers volunteered with the Museum of Aviation until his death serving in the Century of Flight Hangar on Tuesdays and leading tours and special events through the Tuskegee Airmen exhibit in the World War II Hangar.

Mr. Rogers founded Cirrus Academy Charter School in Macon, Georgia. Albert Henry Rogers's memory will forever live on in our hearts. Thank you for your work to Educate, Equip, and Empower students in STEM throughout the Middle Georgia area.