CCS students are ‘ready to launch’ at STARward STEM Expo 2023

Cumberland County Schools sent this bulletin at 01/18/2023 09:15 AM EST

Editorial Note: Media is invited to cover this exciting event, STARward STEM Expo 2023, celebrating student innovation and STEM education in Cumberland County Schools. Featuring student scientists, a former astronaut, a showcase of project-based learning and demonstrations by STEM industry experts, this culminating event will include the announcement of the winning student design challenge experiments to be launched to the International Space Station later this year. For additional information and coverage opportunities, contact CCS Communications at 910-678-2307 or mediarequest@ccs.k12.nc.us.

2465 Gillespie Street

Fayetteville, NC 28306

Contact:

Lindsay Whitley

Associate Superintendent, Communications and Community Engagement

Phone: 910-678-2303

Email: mediarequest@ccs.k12.nc.us

For Immediate Release:

Jan. 18, 2023

CCS students are ‘ready to launch’ at STARward STEM Expo 2023

Local students’ projects to be launched to International Space Station

Fayetteville, N.C. – Last fall, the three winning teams of the 2022 STARward STEM Design Challenge traveled to Florida in preparation for the SpaceX CRS-26 rocket launch, which carried Cumberland County Schools (CCS) students’ winning science experiments to the International Space Station. For the second consecutive year, CCS students will vie for an opportunity to see if their design-challenge experiments will be selected to launch to the International Space Station, during the STARward STEM Expo on Thursday, Jan. 26 from 4-7 p.m. at Douglas Byrd High School in Fayetteville.

Fifty-seven student teams from nine CCS elementary and middle schools have been collaborating on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) experiments for the last several months as part of the STARward STEM program, which was developed by RTI International in partnership with CCS with funding provided by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).

The STARward STEM Expo is the culminating event of the STARward STEM Design Challenge that will include student presentations of project-based learning (PBL) work, demonstrations by STEM industry experts and the announcement of the winning student design-challenge experiments to be launched to the International Space Station later this year. The event is open to students, families, educators, and other supporters of STEM education in the Cumberland County region.

The district is proud to announce the finalists who will be competing during the expo. For a complete list of finalists by school, click here.

Each team’s innovative STEM-based project will be exhibited during the expo, and from the distinguished list of finalists, three winning student design-challenge experiments will be selected to launch to the International Space Station from Kennedy Space Center during the summer of 2023.

In addition to the student experiment exhibition and competition, expo attendees will have the opportunity to interact with cutting-edge technology, STEM industry experts and former astronaut Tony Antonelli. Antonelli, the expo’s keynote speaker, is a DBHS graduate and served in the U.S. Navy before serving as a pilot on the STS-119 and STS-132 missions to the International Space Station.

Other distinguished guests and speakers will include Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin, DoD STEM Program Specialist Dr. Holly Brown, RTI International Senior Vice President Angela Quick, and CCS Superintendent Dr. Marvin Connelly, Jr. WRAL-TV reporter Gilbert Baez, Sr. will serve as the emcee at the expo.

Scheduled exhibitors include the STARward STEM project primary partners RTI International, DreamUp and Emerging Technology Institute.

STARward STEM is a three-year grant-funded program that starts with building up the effectiveness of teachers in STEM instruction. The program is empowering 300 of CCS’ premier professionals with specialized transdisciplinary project-based learning training and cutting-edge technology to ignite a passion for STEM, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills in underrepresented student populations.

For more information about STARward STEM or the expo, visit www.ccs.k12.nc.us/starwardstem or email StarwardStem@ccs.k12.nc.us.

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