Photo By Staff Sgt. Robert Whitlow | A student of Georgia's Peach State STARBASE program uses a flight simulator program...... read more read more
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MARIETTA, Ga. — For five days, fifth-grade students at Peach State STARBASE trade a traditional classroom for flight simulators, model rockets, computer-aided design, drones and hands-on engineering challenges at Clay National Guard Center.
The academy is designed to make science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) more tangible by giving students opportunities to apply concepts rather than simply read about them.
Peach State STARBASE is a Department of War-funded program sponsored by the Georgia National Guard that provides a five-day, hands-on STEAM academy for fifth-grade students. During the week, students explore subjects including aerodynamics, chemistry, navigation, rocketry, computer-aided design and 3D printing while using mathematics throughout the activities. Depending on operational schedules, students may also tour an aviation hangar and get an up-close look at a Black Hawk helicopter.
For Dr. Hermia Simmons-Deveaux, director of Peach State STARBASE, the program is about more than introducing students to new technology.
“Peach State STARBASE is much more than a field trip,” Simmons-Deveaux said. “It is a meaningful, five-day educational experience that can change how students view learning and their own potential.”
Students spend much of the week designing, building, testing and solving problems together. Activities can range from launching model rockets and using flight simulators to engineering challenges in which students must find ways to protect an egg during a drop.
The hands-on approach gives instructors an opportunity to teach academic concepts outside the pressures of grades, standardized testing and a traditional school schedule. Rather than simply providing students with answers, instructors encourage them to experiment, ask questions and learn through trial and error.
That process can lead to noticeable changes over the course of the academy.
“At the beginning of the week, many students arrive excited but unsure of what to expect,” Simmons-Deveaux said. “By the end of the week, we often see a noticeable increase in their confidence, curiosity, and willingness to take academic risks.”
As students work through the academy, Simmons-Deveaux said they begin asking deeper questions, sharing their ideas and becoming more comfortable with making mistakes as part of the learning process. They also learn to communicate, divide responsibilities, listen to different perspectives and solve problems as a team.
Those lessons extend beyond the activities themselves.
By connecting subjects such as mathematics and engineering to aviation, drones, computer design and other applications, STARBASE gives students a chance to see how concepts from their regular classrooms are used outside of school.
Students also interact with civilian and military professionals who can introduce them to careers in aviation, engineering, technology and computer science, potentially exposing them to fields they had not previously considered.
Over its 26 years, Peach State STARBASE has expanded alongside advances in science and technology. While foundational lessons such as Newton’s laws, chemistry, aerodynamics and mathematics remain part of the curriculum, the academy now incorporates drones, flight simulation, computer-aided design, 3D printing, nanotechnology and other emerging technologies. The program was named a 2024 National Center of Excellence for its drone program and use of emerging technology.
Despite changes in technology, Simmons-Deveaux said the program’s broader purpose has remained the same: helping students gain confidence in their abilities and exposing them to possibilities they may not otherwise encounter.
“Most importantly, I want students to leave with an expanded vision of what is possible for their lives,” Simmons-Deveaux said. “If a student ends the week thinking, ‘I can do this, I belong here, and this could be part of my future,’ then STARBASE has accomplished something truly meaningful.”
For schools and students, the academy itself comes at no cost. Transportation, however, does not.
Schools are responsible for getting students to and from Clay National Guard Center during the five-day academy, and for some, the cost of transportation can be enough to prevent participation.
“Many schools have expressed an interest in participating in our program,” Simmons-Deveaux said, “but transportation is cost prohibitive.”
That barrier can be especially significant for a program intended to expand access to advanced STEAM experiences, including for students who may have limited opportunities to participate in them elsewhere.
For the students who can attend, Simmons-Deveaux hopes the lessons they take back to their classrooms extend well beyond rockets, flight simulators and engineering.
“I hope every student leaves Peach State STARBASE with greater confidence, renewed curiosity, and the belief that they are capable of succeeding in STEAM,” she said.
| Date Taken: | 09.18.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 09.18.2026 14:51 |
| Story ID: | 575082 |
| Location: | GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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