Report from Headquarters


Enos Scholarship Winners Build Awesome Rocket

Written by: developer

Enos Scholarship Winners Build Awesome Rocket The two winners of this year's Lucy Enos Memorial Scholarship completed their rocketry class in Colorado Springs, July 20 - 24. Jessica Kamalu and Rod Floro, along with classmate Bill McMaster, built a water rocket during the class that achieved higher altitude than the other six rockets designed by class members. Their Hawaiian-themed design incorporated a 2-liter plastic soda bottle with added fins and nose cone and a layer of spray-on shortening lubricant. About 10 ounces of water was then pressurized inside the rocket to 80 lbs. psi. When launched from the parking lot of Regis University, the rocket reached a height of about 230 feet.

The class of 20 elementary, middle, and high school teachers from Colorado, Nebraska, Florida, and Hawaii worked in teams during the class to design model rockets that reflected applied learning of rocketry principles.

Floro, a sixth grade physical science teacher at Kamehameha Schools Middle School, Hawaii Campus, Keaau, said he "learns best by doing" and the hands-on aspect of the class gave him experience to share with his students.

"The class totally exceeded my expectations. I'd like to use it as a model for a workshop on navigation and voyaging back in Hawaii, because many of the principles are the same," said Floro.

Kamalu said "the instructors were awesome." Although she has been building rockets since childhood, she said she had never made a water rocket. "That was a fun experience."

She is developing a rocketry elective class for her high school, Ke Kula Kaiapuni 'o Anuenue in Honolulu, and said her experiences helped her develop a progression for her class.

Two Lucy Enos scholarships were awarded this year, instead of one as in previous years, thanks to a matching grant from Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. The Enos scholarship provides professional development opportunities for educators of Hawaiian or part-Hawaiian ancestry, or who work with PreK -12 students of Hawaiian or part-Hawaiian ancestry. It covers tuition, fees, travel expenses, and lodging for the recipient to travel to Colorado Springs and participate in one of the Space Foundation's week-long Space Discovery Institute courses. Space Foundation CEO Elliot Holokauahi Pulham and his wife Cynthia A. Pulham fund the scholarship, which honors the memory of Elliot's grandmother, Lucy Enos, who was born in Pahala, Hawaii, in 1898.

This summer, 140 teachers attended six Space Discovery Institute classes in Colorado Springs. The Space Discovery Institute curriculum focuses on national standards and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) principles. Master's degrees in a variety of education-related programs with space studies science emphasis, are available.

Photo: Rod Floro, left, and Jessica Kamalu prepare to launch their water rocket.

This article is part of Space Watch: August 2009 (Volume: 8, Issue: 8).


Posted in Report from Headquarters