Starbase Robins - Warner Robins, Georgia

PROGRAM INFORMATION

STARBASE Robins offers STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) programming to 5th grade students. We currently serve three school districts, Bibb, Houston and Twiggs Counties. Our programming provides students with a high quality hands on experience. Although our primary focus is on math and science, the 25 hours of programming that the students receive also includes activities that focus on the well being, abilities and goal setting of the students. We introduce basic goal setting skills to many students who have never been motivated about their future career goals and the choices that need to be made in order to reach those goals. We relate much of our programming to the fields of aviation and the physics of flight. Below is a breakdown of the daily activities for the STARBASE ROBINS five day program.

DAY 1

Program Introduction
dreams + action = Reality
Starlab (planetarium)
Scientific Method
PTC Lab Module (computer Aided Drafting)
Drug Demand Reduction
Moonbase (teamwork activity)
Parts of an Airplane
STARBASE News (HW assignment)
Flight Log (daily activity record)

DAY 4

Review
Rocketry
Flight Instruments
Flight Simulator
Air Park Tour
Flight Line Tour (KC-135 Static Tour)
Flight Log

DAY 2

Review
d + a = R
Shuttle Breakdown (NASA teamwork activity)
Oceans of Air (properties of air experiments)
PTC Space Station
Pounds of Pressure (air pressure)
Forces of Flight
Bernoulli's Principle
Flight Log

DAY 5

Rocketry
Rocket Launch
Test Review
CPS Post Test (computer based)
Career Guide (volunteer guest speaker)
Graduation / Evaluations

DAY 3

Review
Newton Experiments (3 laws of motion)
Career Game (Career Planning Software)
PTC Space Station
Computer Graphing (Excel Spreadsheet)
Rocketry

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES

Fatal Vision
Airplane Scavenger Hunt
Math in the Real World (software)
STARBASE Crossword (software)
We The People (Movie, Sam Nunn Theatre)
Try-Angle

IMPACT

An evaluation system, including pre/post tests and a teacher report card, provides evidence of the success of all elements of the program. Comparison of pre/post test scores among the first one hundred classes at STARBASE Robins indicated a dramatic increase in the knowledge of areas included in the curriculum. As of October 2002, the average test scores of over 5,400 students rose from 46% to 82%.

In response to the President's Summit for America's Future in April 1997, a community service project is now required for all classes participating in the program.

Administrators' and principals' feedback:

"This program is worthwhile, challenging, motivating, stimulating, and enriching. I look forward to coming to STARBASE next year."

"My students have learned to work as teams cooperatively and responsibly."

"STARBASE Robins talks to the students about their future and gives them something to think about when they become adults."

Student feedback:

"I would like to thank you for helping me understand why it is so important to do my work, and for letting me show you how well I can work with others."

"I learned that you can be anything that you want to be and dreams+action=Reality."