Brandon Chang, a 16-year-old junior at West Ranch High School, is helping middle school students discover a love of science through a week-long summer camp.
GalaxSea, a new initiative created by Chang, debuted at Rancho Pico Middle School from June 3-7, teaching 55 middle school students different science concepts.
Chan applied for the grant through the Dragon Kim Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to “inspire young people to discover and pursue their passions while impacting their communities,” according to its website.
Rancho Pico students will be participating in GalaxSea from June 3 to 7. Courtesy of Brandon Chang.
Through the Dragon Kim Foundation’s Fellowship Program, 60 projects were selected from 519 applicants to receive mentorship and $5,000.
“My mentor is Brian Lee, an aerospace engineer, and I got along well with him. We also have several weekend trainings where we learn about leadership, skills, communication and other important traits that you want to have while working on the project,” Chan said. “We also have about three weekend trainings.”
Chan had a broad idea of wanting to expose young students to additional educational elements that may not be included in their school curriculum.
“I worked with my mentor and ultimately had to create a budget for what I was going to do, including the curriculum, workbooks, social media and everything else I needed to prepare,” Chan said. “It was a lot of work getting materials and spreading the word to parents and students to sign up, but I think it all worked out.”
Chan and 13 volunteers experimented with different elements to make the camp a success, including schedule timing and student engagement with the curriculum.
“I think that space education currently has a huge problem of being inaccessible to most middle and high school students, regardless of the socioeconomic status of their community,” Chan said. “Anyone can be successful in the space field, regardless of their economic status, ethnicity or gender. That’s the message I wanted to get across to all my students.”
The five-day curriculum included the following concepts:
Monday: Solar System. The main activity is a 3D model of the solar system. Tuesday: Flight and Aerodynamics. Activities include launching paper airplanes and bottle rockets using vinegar and baking soda. Wednesday: The three-phase Mars mission engineering and design process. Activities include egg drops, creating a habitable structure with marshmallow spaghetti towers, and a fake money budget for the mission. Thursday: Designing a habitat for the Moon or Mars. Students choose roles and perform duties to make the mission a success. Friday: Parents come to see the culmination ceremony, student group presentations, and projects to close out the week.
Rancho Pico Principal Katherine Nicholas reflected on the experience her students had at Galaxy Sea’s first camp.
Rancho Pico students will be participating in GalaxSea from June 3 to 7. Courtesy of Brandon Chang.
“Brandon contacted me through his high school principal, Mr. Robert Fisher, and asked if I could send a flyer to our Parent Square asking if they would be interested in summer camp,” Nicholas said. “The students had a lot of fun with the camp. Half the day was hands-on, teaching the science curriculum about space, science and astronomy, and the other half was hands-on.”
Nicholas said the students not only gained science knowledge, but also confidence in their own abilities.
“The students developed positive relationships with each other. Many of them have developed an interest in science and astronomy. I think it’s been a very positive experience for them that will probably impact them for the rest of their lives,” Nicholas said. “If he were to do it again, I think this would be an asset for our students.”
For more information, visit the GalaxSea website at galaxseaexplorers.org.
Rancho Pico students will participate in GalaxSea from June 3 to 7. Courtesy of Brandon Chang. Rancho Pico students will participate in GalaxSea from June 3 to 7. Courtesy of Brandon Chang. Rancho Pico students will participate in GalaxSea from June 3 to 7. Courtesy of Brandon Chang.
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