Guard to Open New STEM-Focused Academy
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Indiana National Guard is launching a third academy designed to spark interest in science, technology, engineering and math careers. STARBASE Indiana in South Bend is expected to open early next year. The hands-on, five-week program focuses primarily on fifth graders. STARBASE Indiana has existing academies in Fort Wayne and Indianapolis.
March 6, 2015
News Release
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, Adjutant General of the Indiana National Guard, is excited to announce that a third STARBASE program will open in early 2016 at the South Bend Indiana National Guard Armory. Our South Bend Campus will build on the successes of the tremendously popular Fort Wayne and Indianapolis Academies and will bring its unique form of STEM education to the South Bend region. Umbarger recently voiced his support, “STARBASE Indiana is the perfect setting to prepare today's elementary students for tomorrow's demanding high tech jobs here in the Hoosier state! It is in sync with Governor Pence’s Roadmap for Indiana where it will dramatically improve the math skills of all students who partake in this wonderful opportunity.”
Scott Liebhauser, the Executive Director of STARBASE Indiana stated “We are excited to open our third STARBASE Academy in Indiana. We look forward to serving the next generation of engineers, scientists, and mathematicians right here in the Hoosier State. Our five-day program operates as part of the school year and as an extension of each school's curriculum. STARBASE is not a field trip, but much, much more.”
STARBASE Indiana focuses on elementary students, primarily fifth graders. The goal is to motivate them to explore Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) in their educational pursuits. We serve all students (public, private, and homeschools), especially those that are historically under-represented in STEM. The academy encourages students to set goals and achieve them. The program involves 25 hours of instruction spread over five weeks. STARBASE students will attend with their own classmates and teacher for one day per week, for five weeks.
STARBASE Indiana engages students through inquiry-based curriculum with its “hands-on, minds-on” experiential activities. They explore rocketry, robotics, Newton's Laws, Bernoulli's principle, nanotechnology, navigation, and mapping. The children are captivated by engineering as they learn CAD (Computer Aided Design) software to design and create a 3D robot. Math is embedded throughout the curriculum as students use metric measurement, estimation, calculation, geometry, and data analysis to solve questions. Teamwork and communication are emphasized as students work together to explore, explain, and evaluate concepts.
The education students receive during these five days is experiential and exploratory, with a direct tie to educational standards. STARBASE is funded through the Department of Defense and private donations. Therefore, the only responsibilities for the school are to provide transportation and to ensure that lunch is provided for the students. Yes, STARBASE is FREE!
Signing up is simple. After meeting with your school officials and explaining the program, you will be offered several dates from which to choose. These dates will fill up fast, and time is of the essence. The STARBASE program is equipped to instruct up to 30 students per day. For inquiries or school sign up, please call or email the Executive Director, Scott Liebhauser, at 260.478.3702. You can also reach him by email at scott@starbasein.org. Please check us out on the web at www.starbasein.org and at facebook.comstarbasein.
Source: The Indiana National Guard