BY KARISSA MILLER

Iredell-Statesville Schools’ Rockets, Rovers and Robots Camp, in its fifth year, helps middle school and rising high school students each summer cultivate a love for STEM.

At the Mars-themed camp, students rotate through three main stations, including a rocket building station, a robot station and a STEM station.

“In the past, we did great STEM activities. This year, we really wanted to focus on critical thinking and problem solving,” explained R3 Camp Director Debra Lester.

Rocket Station teacher Terence Clark, who teaches at Lakeshore Middle School, created a Top Golf inspired rocket course for students to use their straw rockets.

Students look at the angle, force, trajectory and the amount of force being applied to the rocket in order to achieve the goal they are setting to achieve.

“It’s really a multi-pronged attack at science here,” Clark explained. “Students are naturally competitive, but I also see them helping each other when one of them isn’t successful.”

For Clark, the week has also been memorable for another reason.

“To have my daughter (Catelyn) as my assistant and to see her develop her leadership roles, to see how these kids, some of them older than her are respecting her and being receptive and listening to her really makes me a proud father,” he said.

Max Kofke, a rising eighth-grader, said he has been attending R3 camp for three years now. He has a parent that has a STEM related career, and his teachers describe Max as naturally curious and a good problem solver.

He surprised his teacher Wendy Arnette when he built his robot in one day, a task that takes the entire week for most students.

“The camp has helped me learn life skills. I want to be an engineer and get my degree from N.C. State. The camp has helped me decide what I want to do,” he said.

Returning camper Oliver Yang, 12, is also a big fan.

“I loved my experience last year. It was a great camp with all my favorite teachers and Dr. Lester. My father’s an engineer and after seeing what he does, I thought it looked pretty fun. I think that’s what I want to do,” he said.

Ava Hourihan, a rising super senior at CCTL and assistant at the camp, is a former participant. She remembers attending the camp the first year, taking home parts and building a model rocket.

Hourihan brought her model rocket from when she attended camp, which was modeled after Saturn 5, to share with the campers.

The experience sparked a love of model rocketry and opened her eyes to the benefits of getting students acquainted with rocket building at a young age.

“It’s been fun being here and engaging with kids,” she said. “I like teaching the kids and being able to make it easier for the next generation.”

Hourihan helped students put together rocket kits that will launch on the last day.

“They are learning where to put the parachute, motor mount and nose cone. It’s giving them the foundation to eventually build a larger rocket. We are teaching them all the basics and they can all launch and feel that sense of accomplishment,” she explained.

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