On Saturday, September 27th, 2025, we hosted the Beacon Communities Youth Enrichment Program for a STEM Field Trip to campus! 45 students in grades 6-10 attended the day, which was run in collaboration with NEU student groups: AerospaceNU and NUCLEUS. After a quick introduction to the engineering design process with the Center for STEM, AerospaceNU led a Paper Rockets activity, in which students designed and built rockets, customizing the rocket body, nosecones, and rocket fins. In addition, AerospaceNU brought in one of their own rockets for students to look at at touch. Once rockets were made, we went outside and shot the rockets straight up and at a 45 degree angle (to maximize the distance). Students’ rockets were very successful (improvement from previous day, no sticking rocket fuselages!). After lunch outside in West Village quad, students came back inside for a lesson on neuroscience with NUCLEUS. Students learned about neurons and how neurons interact with each other, and got to look at the inside of a real human brain. Thank you NEU volunteer Abby and AerospaceNU and NUCLEUS volunteers!
Top: students design rockets with AerospaceNU
Bottom: students build a giant neuron chain with NUCLEUS
