The STEM trip to NASA included various activities and exciting places to visit. We went to the Kennedy Space Centre for two days, immersing ourselves in the astronaut training program and learning about the important roles involved both inside and outside of the rocket. We also learned the basics of teamwork and the procedures required for a proper launch. We were fortunate enough to speak with Dr. John-David Bartoe, who was an astronaut and research manager for the International Space Station at Johnson Space Centre. We also visited the Atlantis Exhibition, where we saw the shuttle Atlantis itself, which was extremely impressive in size.
In the following days, we enjoyed the humid heat in the heart of Disney World, visiting Disney's Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom, as well as Universal Studios Florida for two days each. Each day was filled with exciting activities, from STEM-based youth programs where we learned the physics of how roller coasters work, to understanding how rides are designed to be both safe and exhilarating, combining creativity with scientific principles used in our favourite attractions.
With further depth, we learned about the Six degrees of freedom, which describes the different ways a body can move in a three-dimensional space, including translational movements such as forwards and backwards, up and down, as well as rotational movements. We also saw this concept applied in the Transformers ride at Universal. In addition, we were introduced to using coordinates to control the movement of ride seats, such as on the Kong ride, and how precision is important to avoid collisions. We used our creativity when designing theme parks at Disney, learning the rules of “Disney Magic” and how a theme park focuses on storytelling rather than the rides themselves.
We also had the opportunity to visit Epic Universe, where we spent a full day going on rides and exploring. Many of us rode Stardust Racers multiple times. In addition, we visited Full Sail University and had a tour of the campus. It was a beautiful campus with a wide variety of entertainment, art, media, and technology-based courses. We learned about the programming behind game design and how to make games playable using coding.
iFLY was another experience we were able to participate in. At iFLY Orlando Indoor Skydiving, we learned about the physics of free fall and how the experience simulates the sensation of falling. We were taught how airflow and speed are used to make objects fly, comparing multiple objects at the same time. We ended our trip with a visit to Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures, where we saw native wildlife, including alligators. Some of us even tried alligator meat, and the majority concluded that it was tasty.
Overall, this trip created lasting memories with friends that will be remembered for years to come.
