Sixteen Georgetown ISD students from East View and Georgetown High Schools traveled to Fredericksburg to launch rockets they had been building since December 2021 as part of the SystemsGo rocketry program.
SystemsGo is a hands-on high school curriculum that teaches STEM through rocketry, promoting teamwork, problem-solving, and interest in engineering careers. The program includes four stages, beginning with research and a decision matrix presentation, which is a tool that helps business analysts and other stakeholders evaluate and prioritize options with greater clarity and objectivity.
“After stage 1, students had to actually start designing and ordering parts while I just translated the purchase orders,” Georgetown High School science teacher and rocketry instructor Nicole Bolen said. “They spent the entire spring building, designing, and finishing the rocket on their own.” Then the rocketry students were split into three teams for the launch project, all of which made it to stage 4, launch day. Two rockets launched successfully, while the third failed due to an engine malfunction unrelated to the student’s work.
“It is important to note that, yes, I taught them, but these students did the troubleshooting, building, and designing all on their own,” Bolen said. “There was a lot of problem-solving that showed students they are capable of difficult things.”
Sources: Georgetown ISD Facebook, GISD eNews
Blog by: Abby Zerger, Intern, UT Austin