Jake Gyllenhaal would be proud. Taking their cue from the actor’s 1999 biopic about Homer Hickam, a coal miner’s son inspired by the Soviet Union’s Sputnik launch to learn how to build rockets, Fulton County Public School’s Innovation Academy recently hosted an ‘October Sky’ event.
Designed for the 300 Innovation Academy students majoring in engineering, the teens built and assembled rockets in the morning for a launch later the same day in the stadium behind the school.
Steve Jones, physics teacher in scientific research and NASA JPL Solar System Ambassador at IA contacted Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys, about attending the event. “He said at his current age he’s really limiting his circuit but he sent a letter to students,” said Jones. “But he really is the inspiration for all of this.”
The highly engaged students gathered in the football field end zone and, wearing safety glasses, placed their rockets on launch pads, stepped back to their control/ignition panels and counted down before each stunning launch. Traveling hundreds of feet in the air and drifting with the prevailing wind, each student learned something new that day.
Students who attend IA focus on real world skills in three career pathways – information technology, engineering and healthcare. This is the school’s second year of operation in an impressive new facility at 125 Milton Avenue in Alpharetta. Currently serving grades 9 through 11, IA plans to add a senior class this fall.
Georgia Tech’s Rocket Club attended prior to the rocket launch to discuss Tech’s program and answer questions. The college students were very impressed with IA students’ knowledge and their high-level questions.
Evidence that the program is inspiring future problem solvers, IA junior Rahul Cherian said his goal is to attend Georgia Tech, “I like cars a lot, so I’ll probably go into the mechanical field.”
To continue nurturing these young future engineers, representatives from Lockheed Martin also attended the event to discuss their aerospace program.
“This summer, we had an IT company come and have their annual retreat. They said, why don’t we have three of your IT students come and present what they are working on right now,” said IA Assistant Principal Agnes Browning. “Each of these kids have their own passion, their own side projects. Each one of them came and presented and the company said, ‘This is amazing, we’re giving each of you an internship right now.’”
Attendance at IA is by application to the Fulton County Magnet Program from Nov. 15 to Jan. 15. Learn more: www.fultonschools.org/Page/18605.
