Jack Swigert Aerospace Academy hosts Moon Base One Space Camp

Free space camp ignites enthusiasm in students

By, Kristina Iodice, Colorado Springs Gazette

It’s summer and 48 kids from Colorado Springs School District 11 are building model lunar modules, crafting moons, solving hypothetical space mission problems and launching water-propelled rockets.

This week, Jack Swigert Aerospace Academy hosted Moon Base One — Space Camp for students going into the sixth or seventh grades. Most of the students were from Schriever and Peterson Air Force bases, some of whom attend Swigert, along with a smaller number of other Swigert students.

From the exuberance in the classrooms as the blue and gold teams worked on problem-solving projects, it was clear the students are hooked.

“I learned things I never learned before,” said Emily Nguyen,10, who will start sixth grade at Swigert next month.

Building the rockets was at the top of her list of fun activities. During the free weeklong camp, students learned about hydroponics, geology, astronomy and other topics with hands-on lessons. Two teams competed for points, and assignments had the students working in small groups.

“That’s how it is in the real world,” said Lt. Col. Nery Grieco, 310th Space Wing at Schriever Air Force Base. “You have to depend on each other for survival and mission accomplishment.”

Grieco is the community outreach person for the space wing and mentors several students at Swigert. She wanted to do something more. That’s when she began working on a local space camp for students, and she found a lot of support among other Air Force personnel.

The camp, run by volunteers with the 310th, 50th and 21st space wings, is in keeping with the focus of Swigert. The academy, which opened last year, grew out of a partnership between the U.S. Space Foundation and Colorado Springs School District 11. The middle school uses space and aviation themes to teach students proficiency in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

Normally a weeklong space camp would cost students $150 or more.

“I wanted to make it available to all kids,” said organizer Lt. Col. Michele Gaudreult, 50th Space Wing at Schriever Air Force Base.

Volunteers donated teaching time, materials or money so the program could get off the ground. More than $2,000 was spent on materials. Over the course of the week, 26 uniformed volunteers taught camp segments. The National Security Space Institute even loaned the program a rocket launcher.

“A lot of people stepped up,” said Tech. Sgt. Matthew Royal, of the 310th Space Wing at Schriever Air Force Base. “If they couldn’t volunteer, they donated.”

Guidelines for the space camp curriculum came from the Federation of Galaxy Explorers, which has facilities and hosts several programs on the East Coast.

Jack Swigert Aerospace Academy Principal Larry Bartel said he was pleased with how the first space camp turned out, noting the hard work and good delivery of information from the volunteer teachers.

The space camp organizers hope to offer the camp next year.

“It was the first time, so we didn’t have a lot of time to plan” Royal said. “Next year will be different — lesson learned.”