Wayne Youth to Send Rockets to the Rescue

By Jenny Johnson – Imagine this. A natural disaster has left people without food on a remote, isolated Pacific island, and the youth of Wayne and surrounding communities have been asked to build a rocket that can be launched from the mainland, travel over the ocean and deliver high-energy food to the population.
Students in Wayne County 4-H participated in a National Youth Science Day project called Rockets to the Rescue.
The science experiment challenges youth to use aerospace engineering to solve a global crisis. Students designed and built an aerodynamic craft.
The national rallying event for 4-H Science is an interactive learning experience that gets youth excited about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Wayne County 4-H hosted the Rockets to the Rescue experiment at the RESA Annex in Wayne.
The experiment combines two 4-H issue areas—science and food security—and incorporates aerospace engineering concepts to help youth design a rocket out of everyday materials, including recyclable two-liter bottles, cotton balls, pipe cleaners, rubber bands and a protractor.
“Our nation is falling behind other countries in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math,” said Glenda Weiss, Wayne County 4-H Program Coordinator. “However, participation in high-quality positive youth development programs like 4-H NYSD offers youth and adults the opportunity to engage in scientific exploration and work together to build the next generation of our nation’s scientists, engineers and mathematicians.”