By Trish Svoboda/Images courtesy DoD STARBASE Kansas

STARBASE is a federally funded, Department of Defense (DoD) youth outreach initiative with the mission to inspire fifth grade elementary students, particularly from underserved schools, to explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) through immersive, hands-on learning. Inaugurated in 1993, the program has five sites in Kansas —Kansas City, Manhattan, Salina, Topeka, and Wichita—with 83 sites nationwide. The program is hosted by the Kansas Adjutant General’s Department and operates out of military facilities, allowing students to interact with soldiers, airmen, and STEM professionals, offering experiences that typical classrooms can’t replicate.

Meissa Peat, site director for DoD STARTBASE Manhattan and executive director for DoD Kansas STARBASE, said the program offers an “opportunity for hands-on, minds-on STEM experiences,” with the intent to spark an interest in students to consider career paths they maybe haven’t considered before.

“Each year, our Kansas sites serve about 7,400 fifth graders through the school-year academies alone,” Peat noted. “When we add after-school clubs, summer camps, and outreach, that number reaches nearly 14,000 youth annually.”

Peat noted that the program focuses on underserved populations who may not have these opportunities otherwise. Fifth graders from primarily Title I schools attend STARBASE for a five-day academy, where they explore engineering design, computer-aided design, 3D printing, coding, physics, chemistry, and more. Students program robots for simulated missions and even build model rockets. Primarily running during the school year, after school clubs and summer programs are also available.

STARBASE’s long-term impact is evident. Peat said many former participants return to share how STARBASE influenced their career paths. Some now serve in the military, work for NASA, or teach STEM at universities.

“We have countless stories of how professionals have come back to us over the years and have identified STARBASE as one of the pivotal experiences in their life that helped propel them on the career path they chose,” said Peat. She also noted that they’ve received numerous testimonials from teachers and administrators stating how much of an impact the program has made on their students. “It’s humbling, frankly, to see what an impact the program has had on countless individuals.”

For now, parents whose children don’t attend participating schools are encouraged to register for summer camps, which open each year the Tuesday after spring break.

As a federally funded program, STARBASE relies on continued support. Peat expressed gratitude to Kansas’ congressional delegation for their ongoing advocacy. “Our senators and representatives that represent us in Washington, D.C. have heard about the value of the program and I want to extend our appreciation of their ongoing support,” said Peat.

Non-profit Kansas STARBASE, Inc provides behind-the-scenes support for DoD STARBASE sites in Kansas through support from individuals, foundations, and civic and service organizations through both financial donations and volunteer efforts. For more information or to register for summer programs, visit kansasstarbase.org.