STEM NOLA draws over 300 children to Rocket Day

19th July 2021   ·   0 Comments

By Kai Davis
Contributing Writer

After more than a year of having to pause in-person activities, STEM NOLA, the science and technology program, has resumed in-person educational events, starting with its Rocket Day, which took place at the University of New Orleans’ Lakefront Arena on July 12 and drew more than 300 students.

“The thirst for this event has been absolutely amazing. You could tell that people wanted to come out and be out to see their children engaged in skills with other children,” said Dr. Calvin Mackie, the founder of STEM NOLA, in a statement. “When our children are STEM literate, we get a better citizenry, so our hope is to grow a STEM-literate society in the city of New Orleans.”

STEM NOLA, a non-profit which was created in 2013, by Mackie, a former Tulane University engineering professor, works to create interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education for children in New Orleans, by providing after school and weekend programs that engage K–12 students. The program aims to specifically support low-income families and communities of color.

The non-profit’s programs have gone online since the pandemic. Collectively, the program has reached kids in over 47 states and five countries. In the last eight years, it has impacted 65,000 students, 17,000 families and 2,150 schools. Aeronautics company Boeing served as a sponsor for this year’s Rocket Day.

“The number one thing I want the kids to take away from today is to have fun. We have fun while we’re building our rockets. It’s tough yes, but have fun,” said Jennifer Boland-Masterson in a statement. She serves as Boeing’s director of operations at NASA’s Michoud Assembly facility.

Not only did Rocket Day have success in giving students interested in STEM a fun and educational experience, STEM NOLA also remains a steady partner and resource for many other community programs across the city.

“I think what STEM NOLA does well is their partnerships,” said Rashain Carriere-Williams, the executive director of Boys Town Louisiana and five-year member of STEM NOLA, who participated in Rocket Day.

During the free three-hour event, students learned about rocket proposition, trajectory and thrust before building and launching their own rockets.

“With Boeing there, students had real scientists who helped them learn about rockets, create their own rockets, learn how rockets work and actually launch [the rockets],” Carriere-Williams said.

Rocket Day became more successful than expected with an attendance that far exceeded the number projected due to the vast interest from children and parents throughout the region.

While the organization has created STEM Baton Rouge, STEM Grambling, STEM Gulf Coast, and STEM Illinois, with this rapid expansion, the organization plans this month to rebrand into STEM Global Action. This will allow a hands-on learning experience for children of all ages to deepen their knowledge in STEM studies, gain confidence in their abilities and chart a course for career opportunities in STEM fields.

“We’re going to make New Orleans the center for STEM innovation training for the nation as more and more cities agree to become stem cities like STEM NOLA and use our motto to engage their communities,” Mackie said. “We believe that a high-functioning community is child-centered, adult-governed and elder-ruled. So, everything we do was through the lens of what’s in the best interest for our children,” Mackie added.

This article originally published in the July 19, 2021 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.