United Way of Southwest Louisiana & CPSB Partner to Bring Student Spaceflight Program to Region

With space travel once again making headlines around the globe, exposing the next generation to space-related curriculum and instruction is steadily becoming a trend within educational institutions.

The Calcasieu Parish School Board, with funding support from the United Way of Southwest Louisiana, is excited to announce that a new space experiment program will soon be available to students in our area through the Region 5 STEM Center.

“The SSEP initiative is a great opportunity for students to work together to solve complex problems using critical thinking,” said CPSB Superintendent Karl Bruchhaus. “We, along with great partners like United Way, continue to explore ways that allow local students to excel on a national level and prepare to compete for the jobs of the future.”

The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program will allow students in grades 5th and up to develop an experiment where the effects of micro-gravity are studied in a physical, chemical, or biological system. A competition would be held locally for students to advance to national level, in hopes of securing a position on the next spaceflight to the International Space Station. The United Way of SWLA is fully funding this endeavor, covering the $25,000 cost to make this program a reality for our students.

“We are overjoyed to bring a unique STEM opportunity to students where they can experience working with professionals from NASA,” explained Denise Durel, president and CEO of United Way of Southwest Louisiana. “This is a real spaceflight research program that will inspire the children participating. We are so proud to fully support CPSB in this project.”

The program will serve students in Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jeff Davis, and Vernon Parishes. While funding has now been secured, next steps will include submitting letters of commitment to national program directors and scheduling professional development for teachers to familiarize them with the program.

CPSB WINNERS

SSEP Winners 2022

 

 

 

 

 

  • We want to congratulate the following F.K. White students: Priscilla Moncada, Edith Evey, and Cynthia Chulo. Out of 1,234 submissions, they were selected to be a part of the final 21 teams to have their experiment sent to the International Space Station. These amazing students wrote the Sunflower Microgravity Growth experiment, and have the honor of it being tested by the astronauts on Mission 16. It is expected to launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida later this year. 

    This is an outstanding accomplishment. Their hard work, dedication, and long hours do not go unnoticed. We cannot wait to see y'all continue to grow, succeed, and reach for the stars.