Outreach Opportunity

[Dave Smith]

all of that works for me! and yes, it definitely helps to have a parent around for the launch. My initial class launch at my school turned into a large safety issue that I probably woulda/coulda/shoulda managed better. We do the Ft. Collins one the last week of April works well for me.

I just contacted the Cheyenne one with a couple of questions. I was thinking that we could set up a projector screen and show some videos and/or our website. We could make a simple slide presentation with photos from our members that could run in the background.

In Wheatridge, I am planning on having some of my own students there to help with the building as well as the launching, as it seems that we have become more reliable in focusing on safety and good construction.

What do you think about the Fri/Sat schedule on Mother Day weekend?

[BEAR]

My first thought is the Friday night might be hard to pull off because it is the end of the week, people want to chill or go out, fixing dinner for the kids, etc. Seems to me you might only have a 2-3 hour window of opportunity. I am an old fart (Fathers Against Rebellous Teenagers), my wife and I frequently have a date night on Friday night, so I take her to Denver, we go to Cinzetti’s first and then to the class. I am the easy one, getting parents and kids on friday night is another story.

[Kevin OslerParticipant]

I’m good with any/all of these dates:

April 28th/29th. – Ft Collins with Bear.
May 11 & 12 or 12 & 13 – Wheatridge with Dave
May 19th 10am-4pm – Cheyenne Hobby Day

I feel the same as you do Bear. I have been dragging Scouts and Youth group kids to the NCR launches for years now along with organizing huge rocket build nights and teaching the scout badges and theory. The main reason I do it is because I think a lot of kids in the U.S. have forgot what science is. Apogee and Estes have put together amazing training materials now to teach kids everything from math to English using rocketry. I feel if we can inspire just one kid to possibly change their career path over to science, we have achieved a great thing. I know I will never make it in to space, but maybe one of them will.

So as far as huge rocket builds, I always suggest that a parent comes with the child and pair kids that come without parents with another parent. There are knives, glue and instructions and a handful of other pitfalls to deal with. Even if you are standing up in front of the group there is always a handful of kids that will need some extra help. I have been most successful with the ready-to-fly or small simple rockets when we do build nights. To boost the science a bit I have a list of Trivia questions I yell out during the build and the first right answer gets candy.

When I was the cubmaster for a pack here in Longmont, I just gave everyone the location of the nearest Hobbytown on a flyer with hints and tips and had them go buy their own rocket and build it at home with their parents. Then, the day before the launch I had them come in for a swing stability test and inspection. This way kids can work at their own pace and if they want to they can probably get some paint on it. HA – walked in to the Hobbytown mid-week and their rocket section looked like a bare field, boy was the owner ticked, glad your thinking ahead and giving them a fair warning.

Anyway, usually my goals with the kids are the following. 1) Have fun 2) Get them excited about Rocketry and Science 3) Teach them about stability 4) Get them a taste of hobby building skills 5) Get them to enjoy it with their parents. Also, I always pass them a list of the NCR events and encourage them to attend at least one.

[BEAR]

Thanks guys! Sure could use at least one more person to volunteer to assist in the Fort Collins campaign and any of the others also. Of course the more the merrier! I will start working on a retail sponsor on Monday. The reason I have been focusing on Hobby Lobby over Hobby Town, is that I feel Hobby Lobby is better known and a lot more parents walk in to there than Hobby Town. Then the belief is a greater exposure to more people. I am hoping that maybe my Intimidator 3 could be hung from a ceiling in all of it’s dayglo orange color to attract attention to it and maybe a banner hanging from it anouncing the class. I think I have access to a projector I could hook to my laptop and show a video of launches, RockSim simulations, etc. I was going to look at almost ready to fly kits, so that there is some building involved. (When I did it in elementary schools 40 years ago using Alphas, we had to make the motor mount, glue on fins, glue in shock cord mounts, cut-out parachutes and then assemble them. If the teachers were not mechanical, it made it ratehr difficult and challenging for a 16 year old kid.

[Dave Smith]

I just got the final word from the Hobbytown in Wheatridge. MOther’s day weekend is out.

I picked the only other weekend that makes sense (weather may become an issue) and that is the Saturday, April 21st. with the launch coming on Sunday the 22nd.

I have a projector that can hook up to a laptop as well as the screen to go with it.

Confirm me for the Ft. Collins Date as well as the Cheyenne one.

I am thinking like the rest of you; we can show some videos as well as some pictures. I would like to have club members contribute to having one of us build some sort of powerpoint kind of presentation that we could have running that includes videos as well. If one of us can take on that project, I can focus on getting a brochure/flyer designed as a handout (particularly for the Cheyenne Gig). I also am working on a combination brochure that has NCR on one side and my Charter School on the other.

Can we make sure that we have all of the correct dates as well as getting a list of some members who are committing to being there as well?

[Dave Smith]

Wheatridge Clinic- April 21st and 22nd (lead- Dave)
Ft. Collins Clinic- firm date?
Cheyenne- Saturday, May 19th (lead Dave)-I have emailed them with a couple of questions/ haven’t heard back yet

[BEAR]

Not firm on Ft. Collins yet. Hopefully will know by Wednesday. I still have to get the launch site confirmed also. Trying to get Fossil Creek H.S. Should give us close to 1200′ in all directions, so small motors will work even in the wind. I am also working on a release form that will absolve NCR, Hobby Lobby (or who ever the sponsor is), the Poudre School District, along with the individuals leading this, from all responsibility and liability, as long as we are doing what we are trained to do and do not go outside that envelope. Just might be important! Still asking if anyone else care to join in the fun and give to youth?

[Kevin OslerParticipant]

I’ll take on the Powerpoint, but i need way more pictures and video’s. I have videos of my own H through K stuff flying, but the video quality is real bad on most of them. (smartphone cam).

Wish I had the LDRS video’s even though it would probably be against some copyright to play them at an event like this.

If anyone in the club has some good video’s can you email the link in a PM or if you want to send a file, drop me a PM and I pass you an email to send them to.

Wonder if we will have internet access at the event…. Youtube has some good ones.

Kevin

[smashburn]

I’ll take on the Powerpoint, but i need way more pictures and video’s. I have videos of my own H through K stuff flying, but the video quality is real bad on most of them. (smartphone cam).

Wish I had the LDRS video’s even though it would probably be against some copyright to play them at an event like this.

If anyone in the club has some good video’s can you email the link in a PM or if you want to send a file, drop me a PM and I pass you an email to send them to.

Wonder if we will have internet access at the event…. Youtube has some good ones.

Kevin

NCR had a great video out back in ’04, the Delta II was on it .. Joe? is that available for these guys to use?

[Dave Smith]

I asked the question about internet connections at the Cheyenne event. I haven’t heard back yet.

I like the idea of having a Release of Liability on this. Thanks for going in that direction Bear.

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