iBerkshires: Students Have a Blast at Rocket Camp

By Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Learners had a literal blast this week during Flying Cloud Institute's Rocket Camp.

During a four-day workshop, students collaborated with volunteer David Doyle and education coordinator Christian Drake to explore scientific concepts and, of course, build rockets.

In three days, the students learned about the engineering behind rockets, propulsion, aerodynamics, space, and more.

"I believe rocketry is an excellent way to teach kids about basic physics and aerodynamics. Our goal this year was to have teams of two build seven very different rockets, and think about and discuss how their different shapes, sizes and weights contribute to different flight characteristics," Doyle said.

"They learn about basic forces, such as gravity, drag, rotation and thrust; they learn about the basic tools and materials typically used to build model rockets."