The El Paso County 5th Grade Rocket Day (5GRD) has launched an ambitious quest to have every fifth grader in El Paso County build and launch an Estes rocket by 2026.
This fall, the inaugural Rocket Day will enable 800 Harrison School District (D2) students to build and launch their rockets over several days in late September/early October. Rocket Day planners are initially partnering with Harrison School District to provide their 800 fifth-grade students with free Estes rocket kits and volunteers to help them with assembly and launch. The two-year plan will scale up to include all El Paso County 5th graders.
This Herculean task is being led by volunteers from Rocky Mountain NDIA, the Colorado Springs Rocket Society (COSROCS), the UCCS Development Foundation, and generous donor funding.
Rocky Mountain NDIA is facilitating the volunteer effort. Approximately 150 volunteers are needed for Build Day (about a 2-hour commitment) and Launch Day (about a 4-hour commitment) with a short orientation/training in late August. The Rocket Day schedule is posted below. Rocky Mountain NDIA is also reaching out to other area organizations to recruit volunteers.
If you or your organization would like to help these aspiring astronauts and engineers during Build Day and/or Launch Day, email the POCs today to sign on to this important and rewarding effort:
Contacts:
Tom Walker
thomas.c.walker@lmco.com
Rachel Gardner
rachel.gardner@cyber-center.org
