EASTON — Superintendent Lisha Cabral and Principal Kelly Cavanaugh are pleased to share that a team of Oliver Ames High School students are collaborating on a project that will support astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS).
Twenty students in grades 10-12 enrolled in Fashion II: Textile Arts & NASA HUNCH Softgoods are working to complete Hygiene Kits, which astronauts aboard the ISS receive to store personal care items.
Students are completing the work through the HUNCH (High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware) program, an instructional partnership between NASA and school districts. Students learn skills as Softgoods Technicians — Softgoods, also known as Sewn Flight Articles, is a program that uses fabric or other soft materials to design and create materials to keep the space station crew safe, clean and comfortable.
Since a virtual kick-off event at the beginning of the school year hosted by NASA Softgoods Lead Jennifer M. Leonard, students have spent class time learning how to use machinery and equipment by creating individual projects, and developed technical skills through an online training course and bi-monthly virtual meets.
The class is now in the process of assembling and completing Hygiene Kit parts and various sizes of removable velcro pockets. Their work requires reading, interpreting, and following subassembly instructions and diagrams as the kits must meet strict requirements specified by NASA engineers for safety, size, function, identification and use. Each part must pass inspection and will be packaged separately and returned to the Johnson Space Center for a final inspection by NASA Quality Control.
“I’m so proud of the students for all of the hard work they’ve put into these kits and the teamwork they display throughout the entire process from layout to inspection,” said Family & Consumer Science Teacher Betti Almeida, who works with the OAHS Softgoods Team. “This is a demanding project, but the students have shown determination in their approach and the reward of knowing their work is being used by astronauts in space makes the challenges worth it.”
This year’s OAHS Softgoods Team was also visited by Dr. Florence Gold on April 5. Dr. Gold has worked with the HUNCH program since 2005 and her most recent position is the project manager for the HUNCH Academy, which is a grades 2-8 hands-on program that promotes the HUNCH mission to have students work on projects that are of value to the astronauts as they live and work in space.
During her visit, Dr. Gold expressed NASA’s appreciation for the work and contributions of the HUNCH Softgoods Team, with emphasis on how the “H” in the HUNCH acronym stands for “high school students.” She also spoke about career opportunities students will have with these skills and experiences.
This was Dr. Gold’s second in-person visit to Oliver Ames High School. She attended the NASA HUNCH Kickoff Event in 2019 when Oliver Ames first partnered with the program. Since then, students have met and interacted with her virtually, and she has spoken about advancements in space, current research projects and experiments.
“This program is a unique opportunity for students to produce products for training and actual use in the International Space Station,” Superintendent Cabral said. “HUNCH provides students with the ability to work collaboratively and strengthen their problem-solving skills in a way that many other students their age don’t get to experience. This is so exciting for our Softgoods Technicians, and thank you to Betti Almeida for her continuous support of students.”
The first group of OAHS NASA HUNCH students, 2019-2020, created 3rd Gen 0.5 CTB Units, which are half-size Cargo Transfer Bags used by astronauts in training at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. The OAHS Softgoods Team was selected to begin working on sewn flight projects for the ISS in 2021.
At the end of the program, students receive certificates from NASA in recognition of their work. Members of the Softgoods Team also have the opportunity to sign a locker that will be used on the ISS.
About HUNCH:
The HUNCH mission is to empower and inspire students through a Project Based Learning program where high school students learn 21st century skills and have the opportunity to launch their careers through the participation in the design and fabrication of real-world valued products for NASA. The program works with more than 500 classroom programs in 46 states. Over 2,500 students have participated in the program and developed 3,000-plus items to the ISS.
For more information about the NASA HUNCH program click here.
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