Students make space their destination at Fairmont State summer camp
Jul. 13—FAIRMONT — While planetary observation satellites GOES-16 and NOAA-20 peered at Appalachia above the Earth, 8th-12th graders studied cloud formations over Fairmont State University.
"Students spent time this week doing activities that looked like science, and modeled the behaviors of scientists," NASA Education Specialist Josh Revels said. "So, they felt like they were participating in science but by doing observations with the G.L.O.B.E. program, they actually submitted data that was authentic science. This is science that scientists at NASA and NOAA will actually use to interpret what's happening with the Earth and the environment."
Students learned about a process called "truthing," which compares grounded observations against those taken by satellites. Scientists use truthing to make sure the data satellites capture is accurate.
The exercise was part of the Destination SPACE camp, held at Fairmont State University this week. The camp ended with a presentation students held Friday for parents to show off what they accomplished at the camp.
NASA scientist DeWayne Cecil founded the program in 2017. He created the program as a way to give back to the community and create an opportunity for students to learn more about Science, Technology, English and Mathematics, with a special focus on satellite-based STEM careers, NASA IV&V Center Education Program Manager Todd Ensign said.
This year, 13 youth were in the program. One student came from Massachusetts and another from California, while the rest were from across West Virginia. Ensign said the program is important because most of the camps hosted by NASA in the region are day camps. Since Destination SPACE is residential, it provides an opportunity to serve students from beyond the region where the camp is physically.
"Students spent the entire week focusing on weather and climate," Ensign said. "They built their own weather station. They programmed them, collected data all across campus with them repeatedly. They learned about another measurement called surface temperature."
Destination SPACE is also free. Ensign said the program does ask for a donation to cover room and board.
Sarah Yearego, 17, a rising high school senior from Harrison County, first attended Destination SPACE when she was a freshman. Prior to attending, she preferred social studies to science. However, after her aunt told her about the program, she decided to check it out. Now, she's exploring a career in aviation as a pilot, possibly at Fairmont State University.
"This camp really helped me see that science is an approachable thing," she said.
Overnight Camp Counselor Skyler Clagg said it seems most students enjoy the program. Since the program is advertised as a space camp, it gives kids who want something science related something to do over the summer. One year the program even worked only with youth in foster care. The topics the program teaches changes every year, which is why Ensign encourages students to return the next year if they're still eligible. Other topics covered have been robotics and rocketry.
"I just think it's good for the kids to learn about this kind of thing," Clagg said. "Some of the stuff they're learning here is stuff they aren't learning in school. I think it's cool for them to be able to get it here."
Reach Esteban at efernandez@timeswv.com
