As part of their recent DreamUp to Space missions, the two student teams had proposed, designed, and refined experiments to be shipped to Cape Canaveral for launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and cargo Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS). The experiments were conducted by astronauts on the ISS in microgravity while simultaneously being conducted on Earth by the students. The space versions were then returned on SpaceX for postflight analysis, during which the students compared the results of the experiments performed in microgravity with the Earth-bound ones.
- Team Aloe Vera from iLEAD Antelope Valley, a TK-8 school on W. Ave. K in Lancaster, analyzed whether aloe vera can be grown in space.
- Team Space Mushroom from iLEAD Lancaster, a TK-8 school on E Ave. K-4 in Lancaster, analyzed the viability of growing oyster mushrooms in space.
With their experiments now fully analyzed, the students are working on their post-experiment technical reports. Staff and families alike have been inspired by the experience.
“They are doing real-world science for a real-world purpose,” said iLEAD Lancaster Director Nykole Kent. “This innovative, hands-on project allowed our students to collaborate with experts in the space community as they reach into the future together.”
Through a partnership with DreamUp, iLEAD California Charter Schools has offered this unique DreamUp to Space opportunity to their students for nearly a decade. The project is designed to determine the viability of human colonization of the Moon and Mars.
“Postflight analysis is a powerful experience and the culminating phase of the iLEAD DreamUp to Space project,” said Kathleen Fredette, iLEAD California’s Director of STEAM Initiatives. “Comparing the Earth-based experiment with the space-based experiment using careful visual and microscopic examination provides our kids with the opportunities to do what very few people ever have the chance to do – interact with something that has been to space.”
iLEAD Antelope Valley and iLEAD Lancaster offer a student-centered approach to education that focuses on project-based and social-emotional learning principles. Enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year is by lottery. Potential students should apply before March 29 to be included. To learn more about iLEAD Antelope Valley, visit iLEADav.org. To learn more about iLEAD Lancaster, visit iLEADlancaster.org.
[Information via news release from iLEAD California.]
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