22 August 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – McEachron fifth graders will spend the next five weeks learning about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in the Kansas Starbase Program.
The program is taught at the Army National Guard building located at Forbes Field in south Topeka.
“Starbase is a Department of Defense STEM Program,” Brent Mumford, Director of the Starbase Program in Topeka.” It started back in 1993. The Topeka program is one of about 84 programs in the nation.”
The Starbase program focuses on elementary students, primarily fifth graders. The goal is to motivate them to explore STEM subjects as they continue their education. Starbase is a five day program designed to deliver STEM specific curriculum that meets state and national standards. The program is offered at no-cost to the participating schools.
“There are five Starbases in Kansas: Topeka, Kansas City, Wichita, Manhattan and Salina,” Mumford said. “Our program targets fifth graders. Our mission is to get fifth graders to come in and learn about STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. We do a lot of science experiments, technology, we work with robots, rocketry, computer aided design, chemistry experiments, physics experiments.”
Starbase has worked with nearly 41,000 Kansas children improving their interest in the areas of math, science or technology.