Three student teams from Cumberland County Schools (CCS) recently traveled to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, to present their winning projects from the STARward STEM Design Challenge.

Cumberland Mills Elementary, William H. Owen Elementary, and Seventy-First Classical Middle Schools participated in the event. Their projects were selected from over 60 proposed experiments and a pool of more than 300 student participants, earning them the opportunity to have their experiments potentially conducted on the International Space Station (ISS). 

During their visit in February, the students presented their research and findings to an audience, which included educators, scientists, and NASA astronaut Tony Antonelli. They also had the chance to tour the Kennedy Space Center, engaging with exhibits and activities related to current NASA missions and human space exploration.

The spaceflight design challenge is the annual culminating event for the STARward STEM program, a joint initiative between CCS and the Department of Defense. The program aims to broaden access to STEM education for students within the district.

“This opportunity underscored the incredible potential of our students and the power of providing access to STEM education,” said Dr. Lavette Braswell, assistant superintendent K-12 Instructional Programs. “We were proud to see their hard work recognized on such a prestigious stage.”