Announcing the HARP Remote STEM Learning Initiative

Announcing the HARP Remote STEM Learning Initiative

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To better support STEM education of Middle School and High School students during the pandemic – Science Heads has introduced it’s new High Altitude Research Program (HARP). This program is being offered with assistance from the National Weather Service (NWS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics – Los Angeles/Las Vegas Chapter (AIAA).

Teachers may now enroll their students to take advantage of this exciting Project Based Learning opportunity that is designed to reinforce student’s understanding of STEM subjects, scientific methodology, and critical thinking skills.

Four HARP sessions are being offered during the 2020/21 school year – each culminating in the exciting launch and retrieval of student designed experiments that are carried to the “edge of space” aboard High Altitude Balloons (HABs).

“In years past, students would submit experiment proposals and, if selected, build their experiments for our High Altitude Balloons” according to Richard Stember, Executive Director of Science Heads. “This year students can participate remotely from their home or with their class regardless if they are attending school remotely or in person.”

Science Heads’ HABs typically reach an altitude of 20 miles where the conditions are similar to that on the surface of Mars. Some examples of previously flown students experiments include:

  • Exposing seeds to high levels of UV and evaluating post flight germination compared to a non-flown control.
  • Determining if Earth sourced soil degrades when exposed to very low temperatures and high UV rays.
  • Comparing mold exposed to differing conditions of low atmospheric pressure, high UV exposure, and low temperatures.
  • Studying the efficiency of solar power cells under high UV conditions.
  • Determining best coil configurations for wireless power transfer on the surface of Mars.

Details about HARP including dates for registration are available at this link.

Questions may be sent to richard@scienceheads.org