It’s not uncommon for young people to dream of becoming an astronaut. Eating freeze-dried ice cream while floating weightlessly above earth is something we’d all like to try. This summer, Aim High students came a step closer to making that dream a reality when they attended a Career Day at NASA. Thanks to Aim High science teacher Jomei Liao, 21 students from our East Palo Alto campus visited the NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, for a day of hands-on learning and inspired conversation with NASA scientists. Jomei who comes from the East Coast, regularly toured NASA sites with her family as a child. “Naturally, I wanted to share my excitement and intrigue for STEM and NASA with Aim High students,” she said.

The majority of the day’s visit took place at the Ames Exploration Encounter, an educational program that cultivates positive attitudes toward STEM subjects. Alongside professionals, students explored physics, flight, and the odyssey of outer space. They stood in a replica of the lunar landing, learned about Bernoulli’s principle, and got acquainted with centripetal force via a merry-go-round that changed speeds depending on where they stood. Flight was, not surprisingly, the students’ favorite activity. Inside of a wind tunnel, they faced gusts of wind blowing at 50 mph. Wind tunnels, a tool for studying aerodynamics, helped students learn about the effects of air moving past solid objects.

During another segment of the Career Day, students saw a demonstration of fluid dynamics using a model space shuttle submerged in water with black lights and UV fluorescent dyes. The most inspiring part of the day though was seeing diverse and talented NASA employees and learning about their upbringings. Students were able to meet role models that mirror their backgrounds and experiences, opening up new professional possibilities. They heard from an African-American female with a PhD in astrobiology, a Filipino educator and former Marine, and a Mexican immigrant, originally undocumented, who is a female aeronautics engineer. The day was certainly unforgettable. “I hope Aim High can return again next year, and for many years to come,” says Jomei. Click here to read more about the exciting Career Days our students experienced this summer.