PIM Receives Special Recognition!
PIM’s SYSTEM program was one of 10 centers across North Carolina to participate in a NASA Design Challenge along with being an evaluation site to highlight the need for authentic, hands-on, real-world applications of STEM.
The design challenge is a partnership between NASA and the U.S. Department of Education’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers which will allow sites to execute a series of engineering design challenges for third to eighth-grade students. The program is part of the on-going effort to solve the shortage of students with mastery of science, technology, engineering and math skills by the U.S. Department of Education.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our students,” said SYSTEM Program Director Carolyn Banks. “We participated in this NASA Challenge two years ago and it was a wonderful learning opportunity for students. We concluded the program with a trip to Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
“With the onset of COVID-19, progress has been slow but our students are eager to get started. They recently watched the landing of Perseverance virtually with their class, they have to use the Engineering Design Process, teamwork, and other problem-solving strategies to complete this challenge. It’s going to be fun.”
The SYSTEM Challenge will be “Parachuting onto Mars” where students will work in teams to design and construct a drag device that will slow down the team-build cargo bay when it’s dropped from a consistent height, similar to how when a spacecraft goes to land on the surface of Mars it needs a drag device to slow it down and prevent it from crashing.
NASA launch the landing of Perseverance on Mars.
“We started with the introduction on Feb. 1 and our middle-grade students returned March 8, our official in-person kick-off for all students,” Banks said. “All students have to have permission forms signed and we are still accepting new students.”
The STEM challenges by NASA are a way to introduce students to the engineering design process so they can develop solutions to real NASA challenges and students work with NASA engineers and scientists to receive feedback on their work.
You can help!
Partners In Ministry is located in Laurinburg and their afterschool program is only one of the many ways they are serving their community. You may give to support this ministry through Advance Special (#S-00193). You can give through your church with this number in the memo line, or you can send a check made out to NCCUMC Treasurer with a note in the memo line and send it to: 700 Waterfield Ridge Place, Garner, NC 27529