3… 2… 1… Ellis Girl Scouts build rockets, learn STEM skills

Derilynn Wells, 8, left, and, Jade Harmon, 9, right, hold a rocket as their Girl Scout Troop learns the parts of the rocket.

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Steve Arthur, Ellis Public librarian, has been helping children build rockets for 10 years.

Among his latest students are members of Ellis Girl Scout Troop 11261, who willing be finishing DER Red Max rockets next week.

Arthur also works with 4-H youth and other community youngsters through the Ellis Recreation Commission in his Big Creek Rocketry program.

“What I hope they get out of it is a better appreciation of science,” Arthur said. “Some things they learn in school they can realize are hands on. They can get experience applying what they have learned in school. I hope this inspires them to study science and aerospace or engineering.”

Girl Scouts Jade Harmon, foreground, and Danielle Wells, 6, background, apply glue to pieces of their rockets. Photo courtesy of Steve Arthur.

Jade Harmon, 9, Brownie Scout from Ellis, is working on her second rocket with Arthur in Girl Scouts and has participated in the Ellis Rec rocketry class.

“I love building rockets, because we are able to construct something from scratch that can launch over 30 feet in the air,” she said. “I think it’s exciting to do STEM projects. We really challenge ourselves, and building rockets takes a lot of patience and focus. My dream is to one day become an astronaut, so rocketry helps achieve that dream!”

The girls are earning badges for their rocketry work. They also conducted experiments with water and learned about water conservation working on other STEM-related badges this school year.

Arthur pointed to current space missions as an example for the girls of the opportunities becoming available for women in space exploration.

Brownie Scouts Rylan Aschenbrenner, 8, foreground, and Amethyst Moses, 8, background, make measurements for their rockets. Photo courtesy of Steve Arthur.

Arthur talked about the planned all-women spacewalk at the International Space Station. American Anne McClain was pulled from the spacewalk at the last minute because the ISS did not have a spacesuit on board that would fit her.

Hoxie native Nick Hague made the walk instead.

“When I was a kid and I built rockets,” Arthur told the girls, “boys did this all of the time. There wasn’t any girls doing this. But things have changed. The same thing has happened with space.

“It used to be an all-boys thing. Not anymore. Because the girl who is up there, she almost walked in space and she would have been the first U.S. women to do a spacewalk ever.

“What does that tell you guys? … It means that you can do whatever you want. You don’t have to listen to other people tell you what they think you should do. If you want to walk in space, you can walk in space. Science is the only way you are going to get there. This is your first step into making your spacewalk.”

Amethyst Moses and Cheyenne Reed, 7, work together on rocket parts.

Arthur became interested in space watching the Apollo missions when he was a child. Astronauts were his heroes, and it was every kids’ dream to be an astronaut, he said. He also built rockets as a kid as did his sons.

One of his biggest thrills was seeing Apollo 13 astronauts Jim Lovell and Fred Haise, as well as Gene Kranz of Mission Control speak at Fort Hays State University in 2016.

“It was surreal for me,” he said. “They were incredible men.”

Although Arthur did have at least one of his rocketry students go on to study aerospace engineering, in most cases, he does not know what the impact of his students’ exposure to science and space will have.

“I hope, for the most part, the kids who actively participate in class, are the ones I impact. They may have never been exposed to this in any other way. I hope they pursue an interest in it.”

Derilynn Wells holds a rocket as Steve Arthur teaches the girls about rocket parts.

Arthur will offer a beginning rocketry class through the Ellis Recreation Commission Tuesday, May 21 and Wednesday, May 22 at the Ellis Public Library for third through sixth graders. Cost is $15 and includes materials and snacks. Class space is limited. You do not have to be from Ellis to enroll. Registration deadline is May 8.

Big Creek Rocketry will have a launch in June. The date will depend on weather conditions. Watch the Big Creek Rocketry Facebook page for a date. Children and adults are welcome to attend. There will be extra rockets available to launch if a child would like to launch their own rocket.

Enrollment for Girl Scouts is open for the fall. For more information on Girl Scouts or to join, see their website. Girls can also sign up starting May 1 for an extended membership for $35, and that will include access to summer camps and activities as well as membership for all of next school year. Financial assistance for memberships is available for families in need.

Note: Cristina Janney is a Girl Scout leader with Troop 11261. You can submit other community news to the Hays Post at [email protected].