Bob Jones, UAH release high-flying balloons

Engineering students from Bob Jones High School and the University of Alabama in Huntsville launched high-altitude balloons at West Madison elementary and Discovery middle schools. CONTRIBUTED

MADISON – The pursuit of scientific fact-finding flew sky-high for students enrolled in “Foundations of Engineering” at Bob Jones High School, who gained experience from seniors at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH).

Leading these students were Engineering Academy Director Jessye G. Gaines at Bob Jones and Dr. Matt Turner with the “STEM Projects Advancing Relevance and Confidence in the Classroom” lab (SPARCC) at UAH. STEM abbreviates science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

These students launched high-altitude balloons at Discovery middle and West Madison elementary schools on March 25. “The balloon was equipped with temperature and pressure sensors, GoPro cameras, Geiger counters, GPS monitors and a small, on-board computer,” Bob Jones Assistant Principal Amy Thaxton said.

“Data collected by all these instruments was available for classroom use after the balloon landed and was recovered,” Thaxton said. “Video footage was fun for younger students, while atmospheric data was fun for the older students.”

Before it exploded, the balloon likely reached an altitude of at least 100,000 feet. The payload then parachuted back to Earth, and ground chasers retrieved the equipment, John Peck said. Peck works as Manager of Public Relations for Madison Public Schools.

“By increasing the exposure young students have to hands-on, relevant STEM activities, we hope also to increase their confidence and interest in pursuing STEM-related careers,” Thaxton said.

“If we want large numbers of young people interested in STEM fields, waiting until they are in high school is too late,” Thaxton said. “STEM application must start at a young age and be embedded consistently in K-12 curriculum.”