BRUNSWICK, Maine — Kids screamed with laughter as they shot projectiles high into the sky on Friday morning.
This was not recess at Brunswick Junior High. But kids learn better when there’s fun to be had.
The middle schoolers, along with peers from other, nearby schools, rang in the 25th National Space Day, complete with a speech from retired astronaut Dane 'Digger' Carey, who hoped the group of hundreds could find themselves inspired as he was many years ago.
Inspiration is Karin Paquin's middle name. The science teacher from nearby St. John's Catholic School dove head-first into the national Teachers in Space program last year, even taking a weightlessness flight with scientific instruments her kids built.
"I don't want to be the teacher that teaches out of the textbook. I had teachers like that," Paquin said. "I want to be the teacher that brings science to them; that brings it to life."
Space seems far from a pipe dream for some students. Maine is putting in motion plans for a space complex to create jobs right here.
Terry Shehata is the director of the Maine Space Grant Consortium, which is helping to plan the complex. His goal for Space Day was not only to encourage but to let kids know whatever they want to do when they grow up, they can do it in Maine as part of the space economy.
"We want to make sure that we keep them here when they graduate from high school, that we keep them here when they graduate from college," he said. "But we have to offer them something exciting."
Brunswick, in particular, is poised to be a leader in this effort.
The students are growing up in the shadow of the old naval air base. Its infrastructure can be and has been repurposed for the future; their future.
But they have time. On Friday morning, there was much projectile research to do outside.