Vaughan Students' Idea Blasts Off

Whiz Kids: Collette Smith and Cammie Gantek, both 11 years old

School: 

Accomplishment: Placing second in the nation in NASA’s Kids in Micro-g Competition, a contest that possibly leads to children's experiments being performed by astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

Key to Awesomeness:

Cammie: Collette and I first became interested in this project because of our love for the NASA program. Our target teacher, Ms. (Christy) Garvin, encouraged us to try our best in everything we do, and that is what we did in this project. This assignment helped me realize what could happen if I do a little more work, like being mentioned in outer space, and I try to do as best as I can on every task I try. I was hoping that this project would help me get some extra credit in school so I could be one step closer to being an astronaut, scientist or doctor.

Collette: This activity first began as a school project for my target class. My partner and I tried brainstorming, but our thoughts were blocked. Then one day, my mom was blowing into a Coke bottle. The idea snapped in my head, and I knew this was it. How would blowing into a bottle work on the space shuttle? 

Cammie and I wanted to receive a good grade for our effort and time. Ms. Garvin really pushed us to give the project our best effort and try to make it original since she was entering them into NASA's Kids in Micro-g Competition. Once we found out we were one of the projects chosen to represent Vaughan Elementary, we put in the extra effort to revise the paper and video for submission.

I would love to pursue becoming an astronaut; however, NASA has canceled the shuttle program.